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Most   historic  Thoroughfare  in  the  United  States, 

and  strategic  eastern  link  in  the  National  Old 

Trails  Ocean-to-Ocean  Highway 


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Baltimore  and  Washington  to 
Frederick,  Hagerstown,  Cumber- 
land and  Frostburg,  Maryland; 
Uniontown,  Brownsville  and 
Washington,  Pennsylvania,  and 
Wheeling,  >^^est     Virginia  -:- 


Including  a  series  of  detailed  maps,  showing  topography  and  principal 
points  of  historic  interest 


By  Robert  Bruce 


PRICE  ONE  DOLLAR 


uitLU  tiiiuuiiuuiUiiiiii  J 


NATIONAL  HIGHWAYS  ASSOCIATION 


FOREWORD 


ARYLAND  and  Pennsylvania  have  so 
greatly  improved  their  portions  of  the 
National  Road  that  through  travel  over  it 
is  rapidly  increasing.  There  is  also  a 
growing  interest  in  historic  places,  so  many  of 
which  are  found  along  the  route  from  Baltimore 
and  Washington  across  the  Alleghany  Mountains 
to  the  Ohio  River  at  Wheeling,  and  the  junction 
of  the  Mississippi  and  Missouri  rivers  at  St.  Louis. 

The  detailed  maps  on  the  following  pages  are 
intended  not  only  as  a  correct  guide  to  the  route — 
which  is  very  easily  followed  throughout — ^but  also 
as  a  study  in  topography,  especially  through  the 
mountain  sections.  In  the  present  edition  these 
maps  are  carried  only  from  Washington  and  Balti- 
more to  Wheeling;  but  it  is  expected  to  shortly  ex- 
tend them  to  St.  Louis,  and  ultimately  over  the  Na- 
tional Old  Trails  route  to  the  Pacific  Coast. 


ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

The  author's  most  cordial  thanks  are  due  to  G.  G. 
Townsend,  of  Frostburg,  Md.,  J.  K.  Lacock,  of  Cambridge, 
Mass.,  and  Amity.  Pa.,  Mrs.  W.n.  Hyde  Talbott,  of  Rock- 
ville,  Md.,  James  Hadden,  of  Uniontown,  Pa.,  and  C.  A. 
Robinson,  of  Wheeling,  W.  Va.,  for  invaluable  assistance 
on  important  details  of  this  work;  also  to  a  number  of 
others  whose  co-operation,  though  less  extensive,  is  equally 
appreciated.  ::  ::  ;:  ::  :; 

R.   B. 


Clinton,  Oneida  County,  N.  Y. 
March    14,    1916. 


Wording    of    the    first    public    document 

authorizing    the    beginning    of   work 

on    the    National     Road. 

(See  facsimile   on  opposite  page) 

Thomas  Jefferson,  President  of  theUnited  States 

of  America. 
To  all  who  shall  see  these  presents,  GREETING. 

Know  Ye,  That  in  pursuance  of  the  Act  .of 
Congress  passed  on  the  29th  of  March,  1806, 
entitled  "An  Act  to  regulate  the  laying  out  and 
making  a  road  from  Cumberland  in  the  State  of 
Maryland  to  the  State  of  Ohio"  and  reposing 
special  Trust  and  Confidence  in  the  Integrity, 
Diligence  and  Discretion  of  Eli  Williams  of  Mary- 
land, 1  have  nominated  and  by  and  with  the 
advice  and  consent  of  the  Senate  do  appoint  him 
a  Commissioner  in  connection  with  Thomas 
Moore  of  Maryland,  and  Joseph  Kerr  of  Ohio, 
for  the  purposes  expressed  in  the  said  Act;  and 
to  Have  and  to  Hold  the  said  office,  with  all  the 
powers,  privileges  and  Emoluments  to  the  same 
of  right  appertaining,  during  the  pleasure  of  the 
President  of  the  United  States  for  the  time  being. 

In  Testimony  Whereof,  I  have  caused  the 
Letters  to  be  made  patent  and  the  Seal  of  the 
United  States  to  be  herewith  affixed. 

Given  under  my  hand,  at  the  City  of  Washing- 
ton the  Sixteenth  day  of  January  in  the  year  of 
our  Lord  one  thousand  Eight  hundred  and  seven: 
and  of  the  Independence  of  the  United  States  of 
America,   the  Thirty-first.       (Recorded.) 

TH.  JEFFERSON. 
By  the  President. 

JAMES  MADISON. 

Secretary  of  State. 

This  Commission  dated  16th  July  1806,  was 
issued  in  the  recess  of  the  Senate  who  have  since 
ratified  the  appointment  and  this  Commission 
issued    in    consequence   of   that    ratification. 


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;  'koto  by  Gilbert,  Frostburg 

THE   CUMBERLAND    NARROWS,   ONE   OF   THE  MOST    STRATEGIC,    PICTURESQUE  AND   HISTORIC 
LOCALITIES   IN  THE  UNITED   STATES,  AND   GATEWAY  TO   THE   WEST  BY   THE   OLD 

NATIONAL  ROAD 

Taken  from  an  exposed  point  on  the  high  escarpment  of  Castle  Rock  or  "Lover's  Leap,"  about  800  feet  above  the 
stream.  In  the  gorge:  the  B.  &  O.,  C.  &  P.  and  Eckhart  Branch  railroads  on  the  right;  Wills  Creek,  a  tributary  of  the 
nearby  Potomac,  in  the  center;  next  the  National  Pike,  on  which  runs  the  Cumberland-Frostburg  trolley;  on  the  extreme 
left,  the  Western  Maryland  Railway  and  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  in  Maryland.  The  view  is  through  the  west  portal 
of  the  Narrows,  just  beyond  which  (right  at  the  high,  two-span  bridge  of  the  AVestem  Maryland  Railway),  the  Valley 
of  Braddock  Run  curves  to  the  left,  and  is  followed  by  the  Pike.  Wills  Creek  turns  abruptly  to  the  right;  and  about 
two  miles  further  on  the  valley  of  Jenning's  Run  opens  to  the  left. 


The  National  Road,  up  the  valley  of  Braddock's  Run  and  the  scenic  Mt.  Savage  road,  along  the  picturesque  valley 
of  Jenning's  Run  (both  shown  on  the  detailed  map,  pages  38-39),  make  two  complete  routes  between  the  Narrows  and 
Frostburg,  encircling  Andy's  Ridge,  a  limestone  hill  facing  the  Narrows,  whose  sightly  fields,  on  the  eastern  slope,  are 
cultivated  to  the  top,  and  Piney  Mountain,  the  dark  wooded  mass  in  the  background.  Jenning's  Run  flows  through  the 
low  gap  at  the  northern  end  of  Piney  Mountain.  In  the  extreme  distance,  on  the  right,  is  a  dim  outline  of  the  northern 
part  of  Big  Savage  Mountain,  whose  summit  is  crossed  by  the  National  Pike  a  short  distance  west  of  Frostburg. 


VIEW    FROM    THE    HEAD    OF    NAVIGATION    ON    THE" 

POTOMAC  AT  CUMBERLAND,  ACROSS  PART  OF 

THAT  CITY  INTO  THE  "NARROWS" 


This  passage  into  the  mountains  largely  de- 
termined the  course  of  the  National  Turnpike 
from  the  head  of  navigation  on  the  Potomac 
to  the  Youghiogheny  River.  The  end  of  the 
narrows  in  the  middle  distance  is  2  3/10  miles 
from  Ba-ltimore  and  Center  Streets,  Cumber- 
land; just  one  mile  nearer  that  city,  and  almost, 
but  not  quite,  within  the  picture,  is  the  historic 
stone  bridge  shown  on  pages  36  and  41.  For  a 
general  view  of  the  topography  along  this  por- 
tion of  the  National  Road,  see  the  detailed  map 
of  Cumberland,  page  35,  and  the  condensed  ex- 
tension of  same  on  page  39  and  top  of  page  48. 


THE  OLD  NATIONAL  ROAD 

Most  Historic  Thoroughfare  in  the  United  States,  and  Strategic  Eastern  Link 
IN  THE  National  Old  Trails  Ocean-to-Ocean  Highway 

By  Robert  Bruce 

the    several      fare  in  the  United  States  can  the  name  "National 


,  ASILY  first  among 
through  highways  running  west 
from  the  Atlantic  seaboard,  and 
ranking  with  the  Santa  Fe  and 
Oregon  trails  of  the  far  West,  is 
the  old  National  Road,  which,  though  completed 
as  a  government  project  only  from  Cumberland, 
Maryland,  to  Wheeling  (then  Virginia,  now 
West  Virginia),  was  connected  up  with  the  older 
pikes  from  Baltimore,  Frederick  and  Hagerstown, 
and  subsequently  with  the  newer  lines  west  of 
the  Ohio  River,  making  for  all  time  the  shortest 
and  most  natural  way  for  road  travel  from  tide- 
water at  Chesapeake  Bay  to  the  junction  of  the 
Mississippi  and  Missouri  Rivers  at  St.  Louis, 
Missouri.  It  follows  as  direct  a  course  across 
the  Alleghany  Mountains  as  the  nature  of  the 
country  in  western  Maryland  and  southwestern 
Pennsylvania  would  permit;  it  is  a  wonderfully 
scenic  route,  and  has  a  historic  background  beyond 
comparison  with  any  of  its  rivals. 

This  Old  National  Road  has  been  from  the 
first  an  unique  American  institution,  and  was  for 
many  years  a  vital  factor  in  the  life,  politics  and 
industry  of  the  country.    To  no  other  thorough- 


Road"  be  correctly  applied  up  to  the  present  time. 
Between  Cumberland  and  Wheeling,  the  names 
"National  Pike"  and  "Cumberland  Road"  are 
interchangeable,  both  having  been  used  indis- 
criminately by  the  Secretary  of  War,  Chief  En- 
gineer and  the  field  forces  in  their  extensive  cor- 
respondence during  the  progress  of  the  work. 

The  map  extending  across  pages  8  and  9 
shows  graphically  this  old  road  as  a  base-line  from 
which  branch,  and  into  which  come,  the  next  most 
important  routes  between  Chesapeake  Bay  and 
the  forks  of  the  Mississippi  and  Missouri  Rivers, 
across  about  one- third  of  the  "Continent.  It  is 
unquestionably  the  most  direct  route  of  its  length 
in  the  United  States  today,  the  only  deviations 
from  a  straight  line  being  occasional  short  offsets 
in  going  through  some  of  the  towns;  and  such 
windings  as  were  found  necessary  to  make  safe 
ascents  and  descents  of  the  numerous  ridges  in 
the  Appalachian  Chain. 

So  carefully  was  the  route  originally  laid  out 
that  the  loss  of  distance  in  the  mountains  between 
Clear  Spring,  Maryland,  and  Uniontown,  Pa.,  is 
remarkably  small,   the   road   seeming  always   to 


typical  of  the  roadway  from  BALTIMORE  TO  WHEELING;  NEARLY  ALWAYS 
upgrade  or  downgrade,  with   OCCASIONALLY  A  RESTFUL 
LEVEL  stretch 


find  the  shortest  and  easiest  way  across  from  one 
summit  to  another — usually  by  running  down 
along  the  side  of  one  ridge  to  the  foot;  and  then, 
perhaps  at  once,  but  more  often  after  a  restful 
stretch  of  level  road,  making  the  corresponding 
ascent  on  the  other  side.  Generally,  too,  there  is 
a  broad  sweep  to  the  curves,  and  a  fair  margin 
of  safety  to  the  traveler,  in  pleasing  contrast  to 
the  narrow  roads  and  sharp  curves  often  found  in 
equally  hilly  sections. 

Many  times  between  Baltimore  and  Hagers- 
town,  and  occasionally  beyond,  even  close  to  the 
Ohio  River,  the  motorist  beginning  one  long 
descent  may  look  ahead,  perhaps  three  or  four 
miles,  across  the  intervening  valley  and  see  an 
automobile,  or  even  a  shadowy  motorcycle,  start- 
ing down  the  opposite  grade.  Let  them  "sight" 
each  other,  as  over  an  imaginary  rifle  barrel,  and 
often  the  first  apparent  variation  of  either  from 
the  perfectly  straight  line  will  be  at  a  point 
where  each  swerves  enough  from  the  center  of 
the  road  to  avoid  a  collision  as  they  pass.  Rid- 
ing by  night  on  these  stretches,  a  star  will  often 
hang  persistently  in  the  same  general  position  mile 
after  mile.  Except  on  the  mountains,  where 
long  straightaways  are  impossible,  as  many  as 
four  or  five  ascents  and  descents  can  sometimes 
be  seen  ahead  or  behind — usually  all  in  a  straight 
line. 

It  will  also  be  observed  from  the  same  map 
that  the  Old  National  Road  is  a  highway  of  the 
East,  of  the  North  and  the  South.  In  the  early 
days  it  was  also  considered  a  thoroughfare  of  the 
great  West;  but  not  so  much  in  present  usage, 
since  "the  West"  has  now  come  to  mean  the 
Rocky  Mountains  country  and  the  Pacific  Coast, 


rather  than  the  Ohio,  Mississippi  and  Missouri 
River  valleys,  which  seemed  so  much  farther 
away  to  our  forefathers. 

Striking   Comparisons  of   Distance 

Recalling  that  the  traveler  of  a  century  or 
more  ago  invariably  experienced  the  full  physical 
proportions  of  every  mile,  it  is  easier  to  under- 
stand the  enormous  advantages  to  the  emigrant, 
stage  coach  patron  and  freight  wagon  driver,  of 
the  shortest  possible  distance  between  strategic 
points  on  highway  and  waterway,  which  lends 
special  interest  to  some  comparisons  of  distance 
greatly  favorable  to  the  Old  National  Road. 
From  Baltimore  through  Cumberland  to  Wheel- 
ing is  slightly  under  300  miles,  if  anything,  a 
trifle  less  than  the  distance  from  Albany  to 
Buffalo,  N.  Y.  But  the  latter  Is  only  a  fraction 
of  the  road  mileage  from  New  York  City  or 
New  England  by  the  northern  route  to  the  Ohio 
River,  by  which  a  great  part  of  the  central  West 
was  settled  long  before  the  route  through  New 
York  State  and  along  the  Great  Lakes  was 
opened  up. 

Prior  to  the  completion  of  this  old  road,  as 
much  as  possible  of  the  journey  from  East  to 
West  was  rnade  by  water,  especially  the  Potomac 
River,  most  convenient  from  the  tidewater.  Pied- 
mont and  Shenandoah  Valley  districts  of  Virginia, 
from  which  the  Central  West  drew  most  heavily. 
But  how  much  greater  the  distance  that  way  is 
shown  graphically  by  the  map  on  top  of  page  9, 
of  the  river  and  road  between  Hancock  and 
Cumberland,  Maryland.  Note  the  curious 
multiple  windings  of  the  upper  Potomac,  necessi- 
tated by  the  many  hills  that  could  alter  its  course 
a  hundred  times,  but  nowhere  completely  check 


Between/  Wlueling  on,  lAe  Ohio  River, 
and  St.Louis,  at  Ute  JimcUon  or  the 
Missitsippi  and  Missouri,  is  mostly  an^ 
easy  roUmg  country  wH/v  ftvqaent 
long  straigtuaways  for  the  entire 
disuuux  ofaioiU  550  miles.  -^»5 


MAP    SHOWING    THE    NEARLY-DIRECT    ROUTE    ACROSS    THE    SEVERAL    RIDGES    BETWEEN    HANCOCK 

AND    CUMBERLAND,    MD.;    AND,    IX    CONTRAST,  THE  LONG  ROUNDABOUT  COURSE  OF  THE 

POTOMAC    RIVER,    BY    WHICH    TRAVEL    FROM    BALTIMORE,    WASHINGTON,    FREDERICK, 

AND  HAGERSTOWN  REACHED  THE  WEST  BEFORE  THE   HIGHWAY    WAS   BUILT 


its  progress.  The  distance  from  Hancock  to 
Cumberland  by  water  is  possibly  three  times  that 
by  the  Old  National  Road,  which,  as  if  to  scorn 
the  roundabout  and  more  deliberate  way  of  the 
river,  took  a  bold  western  course  into  the  mount- 
tains. 

Hardly  less  striking  is  the  comparison  of  dis- 
tance, clearly  brought  out  by  the  diagram  on  page 
10,  between  Cumberland  and  Wheeling  by  the 
Old  National  Road  and  the  two  lines  of  the 
Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad,  as  used  by  travelers 
between  these  points  today.  The  former  was  laid 
out  to  secure  the  shortest  practicable  highway 
from  the  Potomac  to  the  Ohio ;  the  latter  largely 
to  tap  important  traffic  points  off  the  direct  route. 
So  while  the  road  traveler  only  needs  to  go 
131   miles  between  Cumberland  and  Wheeling, 


the  B.  &  O.  passenger  by  the  upper  line  must 
cover  207  miles,  even  to  transfer  between  con- 
necting trains  at  Glenwood,  or  217  miles  by  the 
usual  way  into  and  out  of  Pittsburgh. 

The  corresponding  rail  distance  through  Graf- 
ton and  Fairmont  is  201  miles,  which  figures  a 
saving  by  the  Old  National  Road  of  70  miles 
over  the  lower  line,  or  from  76  to  86  miles  over 
the  upper  line.  Under  favorable  conditions  a 
good  driver  can  safely  run  an  automobile  be- 
tween Cumberland  and  Wheeling  in  not  much 
more  time  than  it  takes  by  the  fast  trains  of  the 
B.  &  O. ;  and  in  fact  the  passenger  would  be 
obliged  to  figure  very  close  connections  not  to 
be   left  considerably  behind. 

Also  between  Baltimore  and  Cumberland  the 
old  pike  has  the  shortest  route — 140  miles  direct 


"^% 


Short  stroke  lutes  1 5;^v  indicate  the  AppaJar/Ua/v  chaiiv 
or  mountains,  of  whtcK  Ui€  Alleghenies  are  apart.  The  Old 
^'^  XiUx4)n*ii  Road,  is  the  shortest  and  easiest  highway  aeross  Ihenv 

'^*^    through'  t/te  'Narrows "  immediaiely  west  of  CwnberUuut.  Md. 


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PITTSBURQilnJ 

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In^KECSPORT 


Diagram  ofcomparahve  distances 
by  road  and  by  rail  between 
CUMBElRLAm  and  WHEEUNS; 
a/so  comparahve  distances  by 
road  and  by  water  t)etv/een 
BroiMnsville,PiH-sbur^t)  and  Wtieelin^ 


Ganonsbur 


WASHINGTON 


^RW.Newton 


Slaysville 
I  W.AIexander 
liWHEELING 


ioundsvilLe 


^tosneryHill 
Beallsviiie^ 


Cameron 


awson 

BROWNSVILLE^fcCONNELLSVlLLE 

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JJNJONTOWN 

''S^^^  Braddocia^ 


Scale  of  Miles 


Rockwood 


^rave 


Fort  Necessity 


iomerfield 


nColmar 


L\               "ere^tMeadolvs"       ~areaK(SP«SSiS"^'°  vV         ^"^ColtT 
«^; J Cross/^^^^^^dlSOn             W  )7  . 


Littleton 


MCK4. 

^  Manninjten      jt^J 
FAIRMONT* 


MhSava«a 


Terra  Alt'a„ 


LQRAFTON 


through  Frederick  and  Hagerstown,  as  against 
192  on  the  B.  &  O.  However,  the  comparison 
does  not  mean  as  much  as  those  on  the  mountain 
divisions,  for  the  reason'  that  the  main  line  of 
the  railroad  makes  a  considerable  southward 
detour  through  Washington,  D.  C. ;  and  for  most 
of  the  way  from  Baltimore  west  to  Hagerstown 
and  Cumberland,  roads  and  rails  are  far  apart. 
The  diagram  above  also  shows  the  very 
long  way  around  from  Pittsburgh  to  Wheeling 
by  water  through  what  is  now  Sewickley  and 
Beaver,  Pa.,  and  Steubenville,  Ohio.  Some  of 
the  earliest  emigration  took  that  route,  though 
Indian  /"unners  between  points  west  of  the  pres- 
ent site  of  Wheeling  and  the  Forks  of  the  Ohio, 
the  downtown  Pittsburgh  of  today,  had  long  used 
a  short-cut  of  which  the  Wheeling-Washington 
(Pa.)  portion  of  the  Old  National  Road  was 
unquestionably  a  part. 

Background  of  Historic  Interest 

A  clear  perspective  requires  at  least  a  brief  his- . 
torical  chronology  of  the  Old   National  Road; 
and  timely  interest  is  added  by  the  fact  that  this 


great  natural  thoroughfare  will  undoubtedly  be 
brought  up  to  a  high  modern  standard  through- 
out, and  become  a  basic  trunk  line  in  our  coming 
transcontinental  highway  system.  This  will  in- 
volve a  radical  change  from  the  original  purpose, 
for  while  the  regular  passengers,  the  mails  and 
the  heavy  freight  it  was  destined  to  carry  have 
been  transferred  almost  entirely  to  the  rails,  a 
new  forrn  of  travel  has  come  forward  to  more 
than  take  their  place. 

Hardly  had  American  independence  been  won 
and  the  full  responsibilities  of  a  new  nation 
undertaken,  than  the  need  for  better  means  of 
communication  and  transport  between  the  Atlan- 
tic seaboard  and  the  growing  settlements  in  what 
is  now  the  Central  West  became  generally  ap- 
parent. Daring  pioneers  had  already  blazed  a 
few  primitive  trails  through  the  Alleghenies  to 
the  Ohio  River  or  its  tributaries;  over  these  long 
trails  passed  many  emigrants  from  the  East  and 
South  to  new  homes  in  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi 
Valleys,  but  principally  by  boat  from  the  present 
■sites  of  Pittsburgh  or  Wheeling,  as  east-and-west 
roadways  across  Ohio  and  Indiana  came  later. 


10 


3- 


The  Government  saw  the  necessity  of  keeping 
in  communication  with  and  protecting  these  emi- 
grants; and,  in  fact,  was  frequently  called  upon 
to  do  so,  especially  during  the  Indian  wars. 
Travel,  the  mails  and  all  commerce  were  entirely 
dependent  upon  open  thoroughfares  and  navigable 
watercourses;  and  of  course  Federal  authority 
had  to  be  transmitted  and  upheld  through  the 
same  channels.  Roads  were  the  one  possible  solu- 
tion, and  only  the  Nation  itself  could  at  that 
time  build  so  great  and  expensive  a  road  as  that 
needed  to  keep  open  communication  between 
Washington  and  the  Ohio  River  across  the  moun- 
tains. 
sj  It  is  fairly  well  established  that  to  George 
Washington  was  due  the  original  conception  of 
the  National  Road,  and  that  he  also  foresaw  the 
commercial  importance  of  the  Hudson  River- 
Mohawk  Valley-Great  Lakes  route  between  the 
East  and  the  Central  West.  This  is  a  reasonable 
supposition,  for  as  a  young  man  he  made  two 
round  trips  between  Virginia  and  Fort  Duquesne 
through  a  considerable  part  of  which  territory  the 
Old  National  Road  was  afterward  built,  and 
became  well  acquainted  with  the  topography 
of  the  Hudson  River  and  the  Mohawk  Valley 
during  the  Revolutionary  War.  The  "Father 
of  his  Country"  did  not  live  to  see  the  great 
project  undertaken,  but  the  idea  found  valiant 
champions  in  Albert  Gallatin,  Henry  Clay,  John 
C.  Calhoun  and  Thomas  Jefferson,  so  that  in 
1802  (only  three  years  after  the  death  of  Wash- 
ington), Congress  took  it  up  along  with  a  bill 
to  admit  Ohio  into  the  Union;  and  afterward 
arranged  for  financing  it  through  sales  of  public 
lands  in  the  new  states  it  would  principally 
benefit. 

On  March  29,  1806,  President  Jefferson  signed 
a  bill  appropriating  $30,000  for  a  preliminary 
survey  from  Cumberland,  head  of  navigation  on 
the  Potomac,  through  the  Cumberland  Narrows 
and  across  the  mountains  to  the  Ohio  River  at 
Wheeling;  construction  (supported  by  appro- 
priations made  as  needed)  followed  as  soon  as 
practicable  thereafter,  but  was  nearly  stopped  by 
the  war  of  1812.  Work  was  resumed  on  a 
larger  scale  in  1816,  and  continued,  despite  some 
interruptions,  through  western  Maryland,  south- 
western Pennsylvania,  and  across  a  corner  of 
what  is  now  upper  West  Virginia  to  the  Ohio 
River,  so  that  it  was  opened  to  Wheeling  in  1818, 
having  been  built  that  far  during  the  administra- 
tions of  Jefferson,  Madison  and  Monroe. 

One  result  of  this  was  to  make  Wheeling, 
which  was  settled  as  far  back  as  1769,  a  very 
important   point   of   embarkation,    for   the   bulk 


of  emigration  that  started  west  over  the  National 
Road  preferred  to  float  from  the  Ohio  River 
toward  the  present  sites  of  Marietta,  Cincinnati 
and  Louisville,  rather  than  to  strike  through  the 
little-known  wilderness  more  directly  west. 
Sixty  or  seventy  flat-boats,  loaded  with  emigrants 
and  their  belongings,  frequently  passed  a  certain 
point  in  a  single  day;  these  were  not  all  brought 
to  the  great  river  by  the  National  Road,  for 
some  came  from  the  partly-settled  valleys  of  the 
Allegheny  and  Monongahela  to  Pittsburgh  or 
Brownsville,  without  the  necessity  of  crossing  the 
mountains,  but  the  Old  Road  was  undoubtedly 
the  more  important  factor  of  the  two. 

The  original  statute  under  which  construction  1  . 
had  been  carried  to  the  Ohio  River,  provided  for 
nothing  west  of  Wheeling;  but  so  great  use  was 
made  of  the  completed  portion,  and  so  insistent 
became  the  demand  for  its  extension,  especially 
across  Central  Ohio  and  Indiana,  that  on  May 
15,  1820,  Congress  appropriated  $10,000  for  a 
new  survey  from  Wheeling  to  the  Mississippi 
River  opposite  St.  Louis — the  act  calling  specifi- 
cally for  a  "straight  line,  eighty  feet  wide."  This 
was  followed  by  liberal  appropriations  from  1820 
to  1838,  during  which  time  a  vast  amount  of 
work  was  done  in  Ohio  and  Indiana ;  but  toward 
the  last  Congress  seemed  to  lose  interest  in  the 
project,  and  voted  funds  only  for  grading  and 
bridging  that  part  of  it  in  southern  Illinois. 

Such  work  as  was  done  along  the  route  in. that 
state  was  not  of  a  substantial  or  permanent  char- 
acter; so  the  Old  National  Road  never  became, 
as  Clay  and  Gallatin  had  expected  it  would,  an 
improved  thoroughfare  from  east  of  the  Alle- 
ghenies  all  the  way  to  the  Mississippi  River 
valley.  Meanwhile,  it  was  evident  that  the 
country  was  at  the  beginning  of  a  great  railway 
era,  and  rumblings  of  an  impending  civil  waj 
began  to  be  heard.  The  cost  of  repairs  on  the  ' 
completed  portions  had  been  greatly  underesti- 
mated, and  one  by  one  the  states  of  Ohio,  Mary-  , 
land,  Virginia  and  Pennsylvania  in  the  order 
named,  accepted  the  offer  of  Congress  for  them 
to  take  over  and  maintain  that  part  of  the  road 
within  their  borders. 

Except  for  short  pieces  of  road  in  national 
Cemeteries,  Army  Posts,  National  Parks,  irri- 
gation districts  and  th»  like,  the  Federal  govern- 
ment then  gave  up  all  highway  construction,  and 
has  never  resumed  it  on  this  continent.  The 
final  appropriation  was  on  June  17,  1844,  when 
a  supplementary  bill  was  passed  carrying 
$1,359.81  for  "arrearages,"  and  the  accounts  for 
the  Old  National  Road  were  closed,  after  a  total 
expenditure   of   $6,824,919.33,    a   large   sum    in 


11 


^sm^f- 


3 


ROADWAY  IN  MARYLAND,  NEAR  THE   FOOT  OF 
GREEN   RIDGE 


those  days ;  but  without  question,  for  every  dollar 
spent  in  the  building  and  maintenance  of  this 
road,  ten  dollars  were  added  to  the  wealth  of  the 
territory  it  traversed,  and  thereby  to  the  Nation. 

Coaches  carrying  passengers  and  the  mails,  and 
freight  wagons  in  large  numbers,  continued  to 
use  the  Old  National  Road  until  about  1852, 
when  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad  was  so 
far  complete  as  to  make  the  general  use  of  the 
highway  no  longer  profitable.  Unfortunately, 
there  was  nothing  at  that  time  to  take  the  place 
of  the  traffic  that  was  shifted  to  the  railroad,  and 
for  that  reason  no  real  incentive  to  keep  it  in 
good  condition.  Not  only  was  the  modern  idea 
of  touring  over  the  roads  as  a  means  of  pleasure 
and  recreation  unthought  of,  but  the  opportunities 
for  its  enjoyment  would  have  been  small  at  best, 
as  the  crowded,  lumbering  coaches  afforded  no 
comfort  at  the  ordinary  speed  of  ten  or  twelve 
miles  per  hour;  and  no  long  trip  was  without 
its  dangers,  as  the  records  of  the  stage  companies 
and  occasional  letters  from  travelers  abundantly 
prove. 

What  may  be  called  the  modern  history  of 
the  National  Highway  dates  back  to  its  transfer 
(during  1831  and  1832)  from  Federal  to  an  in- 
dividual State  control,  followed  by  a  long  period 
of  neglect,  during  which  time  the  old  Pike  fell 
from  its  once-proud  estate,  largely  because  when 
government  interest  and  supervision  ceased,  the 
original  commanding  purpose  was  lost,  and  the 
project  was  never  carried  through  to  its  logical 


conclusions  by  the  states  concerned — Maryland, 
Pennsylvania,  West  Virginia,  Ohio,  Indiana  and 
Illinois.  Perhaps  this  was  only  natural,  as  they 
never  had  any  uniform  or  united  plan  for  its 
repair  and  maintenance;  and,  at  least  until  com- 
paratively recent  years,  lacked  the  machinery  to 
do  this  in  the  most  effective  way. 

But  latterly,  both  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania 
have  made  so  great  and  permanent  improvements 
over  the  mountain  divisions  that  it  has  not  only 
been  fully  restored  to  through  travel,  but  is 
generally  conceded  to  be.  the  most  natural  eastern 
connection  for  the  National  Old  Trails  Ocean- 
to-Ocean  Highway,  one  of  the  large,  vital  factors 
in  our  coming  transcontinental  development. 

Great  Service  to  the  Central  West 

Aside  from  carrying  the  mails,  the  greatest 
usefulness  of  the  Old  National  Road  was  in 
breaking  a  way  through-  the  Appalachian  Moun- 
tains, enabling  thousands  of  emigrants  to  pass 
through  to  the  West  more  easily  and  quickly  than 
through  any  other  channels.  The  influence  of 
the  Great  Lakes  on  the  course  of  travel  between 
the  East  and  the  Central  West  came  later,  for 
Marietta,  Cincinnati  and  Louisville  were  settled 
long  in  advance  of  Cleveland,  Toledo,  India- 
napolis and  Chicago,  which  had  no  such  feeders 
as  the  National  Road  and  the  Ohio  River. 

The  centers  of  population  were  also  quite  dif- 
ferent from  what  they  are  today ;  our  first  census 
—that  of  1790— gave  a  little  less  than  4,000,000 
inhabitants  for  the  entire  country,  about  one-fifth 
of  whom  were  slaves.  Among  the  states  Virginia 
ranked  first,  then  Pennsylvania,  North  Carolina, 
Massachusetts,  New  York,  Maryland,  South 
Carolina  and  Connecticut,  while  Ohio,  Indiana 
and  Illinois  were  scarcely  more  than  a  boundless 
wilderness  and  prairie  country,  separating  the 
Alleghenies  from  the  Mississippi  River  Valley. 

There  were  only  five  cities  of  10,000  or  over 
— Philadelphia,  New  York,  Boston,  Charleston 
and  Baltimore,  and  the  center  of  population  was 
about  twenty-three  miles  east  of  the  latter.  Such 
part  of  the  Northwest  and  Southwest  as  had  been 
explored  owed  that  fact  principally  to  their 
accessibility  by  the  Mississippi  and  Missouri 
rivers ;  and  at  least  to  the  pioneer  from  the  South, 
the  Hudson  River-Mohawk  Valley-Great  Lakes 
route  to  the  West  was  almost  entirely  unknown. 
Zanesville,  Columbus,  Indianapolis,  Terre  Haute 
and  hundreds  of  other  places  between  owe  much 
of  their  importance,  if  not  always  their  actual 
locations,  to  the  line  of  travel  thrown  into  that 
channel  by  the  pioneer  trunk  line  from  Cumber- 
land to  Wheeling. 


12 


No  other  highway  in  this  country  has  ever 
equalled  the  National  Road  in  political  and  com- 
mercial importance,  or  has  had  so  many  pic- 
turesque country  taverns  built  upon  it;  some  of 
these  are  still  standing,  and  occasionally  one  caters 
to  the  passing  motorist,  though  the  greater  dis- 
tances traveled  today  naturally  give  an  advantage 
to  the  city  hotels  located  at  important  route 
centers.  In  the  course  of  these  articles,  careful 
note  will  be  made  of  such  of  these  old  places  as 
can  be  easily  identified  by  the  leisurely  traveler, 
and  insofar  as  possible  the  locations  of  others, 
not  now  in  existence  but  of  importance  in  the 
olden  days,  has  been  shown  on  the  maps. 

Some  hauls  were  made  over  the  old  Pike  and 
its  western  connections  by  heavily  loaded  wagons 
that  seem  long  even  to  the  motorist  of  today,  such 
as  from  Baltimore  to  Terre  Haute,  Ind.,  Spring- 
field, 111.,  or  even  Nashville,  Tenn.,  which  fre- 
quently took  from  three  to  four  months  or  more 
for  the  round  trip.  One  old  "wagoner,"  John 
Snider,  hauled  a  load  of  goods  from  Baltimore  to 
Wheeling,  Cincinnati  and  Nashville,  striking 
across  from  the  Tennessee  capital  to  Lynchburg, 
Virginia,  where  he  took  on  another  load  and 
drove  it  back  to  Baltimore. 

Reviving  the  Historic  Interest 

Without  the  automobile,  and  the  demand  for 
Improved  through  roads  that  has  been  so  wonder- 
fully aided  by  it,  the  Old  National  Pike  would 
probably  not  be  undergoing  its  present  almost 
complete  transformation,  and  it  is  certain  the 
motorists  will  soon,  if  they  do  not  now,  greatly 
outnumber  all  other  travelers  over  the  entire 
Baltimore  -  Hagerstown  -  Cumberland -Wheeling 
line.  A  growing  percentage  of  these  will  be 
from  distant  parts  of  the  country,  with  a  real 
interest  in  historic  routes  and  places. 

The  literature,  so  to  speak,  of  the  National 
Road  is  practically  out  of  the  reach  of  the  average 
motor  tourist.  The  History  of  the  Old  Pike,  by 
T.  B.  Searight,  published  at  Uniontown,  Pa.,  in 


1894,  dealt  largely  with  the  personal,  individual 
side  of  the  old  tavern  keepers,  freight  wagon 
drivers,  stage  coach  proprietors,  etc.,  in  which 
the  average  through  tourist  can  6^  interested 
only  in  a  slight  degree.  That  book,  written  for 
the  generation  that  knew  its  human  characters, 
is  an  invaluable  reference  for  the  student  of  life 
on  the  old  road;  but  it  is  now  practically  out  of 
print,  and  was  never  intended  as  a  guide  for 
the  traveler. 

Neither  Mr.  Searight's  history,  nor  the  briefer 
monograph  of  Prof.  Archer  Butler  Hulbert 
(1904)  attempted  to  bring  out  the  topographical 
features,  which  are  of  the  very  first  importance 
to  the  present-day  traveler,  who  would  secure  a 
basic  understanding  of  the  National  Road  and 
its  part  in  the  early  history  of  the  country.  In 
fact,  both  were  published  before  topographic  route 
mapping  had  begun  in  the  United  States,  and 
when  road  conditions  were  of  much  less  im- 
portance thafl  now. 

Scarcely/more  has  yet  been  included  in  the 
motoristslr  formal  guide-books  than  mileages, 
names  of  cities  and  villages,  and  landmarks  neces- 
sary for  actual  directions,  with  perhaps  a  brief 
introductory  paragraph  summarizing  the  route 
as  a  whole.  As  a  result,  the  road  traveler 
has  had  nothing  to  help  him  identify  the  inter- 
.esting  old  houses,  or  to  connect  those  and  various 
other  points  of  interest  graphically  with  the  past. 

So,  in  the  present  work,  the  actual  topography 
of  the  line  from  Baltimore  to  Wheeling  has  been 
made  a  feature  of  first  importance,  particularly 
the  detailed  maps  in  the  succeeding  chapters.' 
Though  only  recently  made  a  thoroughly  prac- 
ticable touring  route,  there  is  no  reason  to  doubt 
that  it  will  continue  to  grow  in  favor  with  middle 
and  long-distance  tourists,  especially  as  the  prog- 
ress so  evident  east  of  the  Ohio  River  is  now 
almost  equally  apparent  on  its  principal  central- 
western  connections,  making  a  thoroughfare 
greater  than  was  dreamed  of  a  century  ago. 


rnotograph  by  Underwood  &  Utiacrzcood 
CHARACTERISTIC   BIT  OF  SCENERY   NEAR   CUMBERLAND,   MARYLAND 

13 


WASHINGTON    MONUMENT,    WASHINGTON    PLACE.    NORTH    CHARLES    STREET   AND    MT.    VERNON 

PLACE,   BALTIMORE 

Usually  considered  the  touring  center  of  that  city.     Peabody    Institute    on    right;    across    the    street,    also    on    the 
right,  the   Mt.   Vernon   Church.     View  looking  up  North  Charles   Street 


Chapter  2:     BALTIMORE  THROUGH  FREDERICK  TO  HAGERSTOWN, 

MARYLAND 


In  this  and  following  chapters,  the  trip  from 
Baltimore  to  Wheeling  is  taken  up  in  detail, 
and  made  graphic  by  the  large-scale  maps. 
Usually  the  best  plan  would  be  to  leave  Balti- 
more in  the  morning,  running  through  Frederick 
to  Hagerstown,  lunching  there  and  continuing 
through  to  Cumberland  for  the  intermediate  night 
stop.     In  this  way,  the  forenoon  will  be  spent " 


covering  the  long  rolling  stretches  character- 
istic of  Central  Maryland;  in  the  afternoon, 
there  will  be  about  twenty  miles  of  the  same 
kind  of  traveling  to  the  edge  of  the  mountains, 
and  then  one  ridge  after  another  will  be  crossed 
on  the  balance  of  the  way  into  Cumberland. 
It  will  add  greatly  to  the  interest  of  your  trip 
to   make   a   few   preliminary   observations   about 


14 


Baltimore,  especially  in  the  old  part,  now  about 
the  center  of  the  manufacturing  and  wholesale 
district.  Perhaps  the  greatest  surprise  to  the 
stranger  will  be  the  vast  amount  of  marine  com- 
merce, as  evidenced  by  the  number  and  size  of 
the  boats  that  use  at  least  four  solid  blocks  on 
Light  Street,  immediately  below  Pratt  Street, 
for  docks.  That  locality  is  now,  as  it  was  100 
years  ago,  the  shipping  center,  likewise,  the  most 
westerly  point  reached  by  boat  from  the  northern 
seaboard ;  this  has  been  of  great  commercial  ad- 
vantage to  Baltimore,  and  is  the  basis  of  the  rail- 
way freight  "differential,"  with  respect  to  west- 
ern and  southern  trade,  which  that  city  holds 
today. 

Moreover,  the  old  highway  from  here  to  the 
Ohio  River  owed  much  of  its  importance  to  the 
fact  that  both  passengers  and  wagon  freight 
could  be  quickly  and  easily  transferred  between 
boat  and  road.  It  was  but  natural  that  the  old 
taverns,  largely  patronized  both  by  stage-coach 
passengers  and  freight-wagon  drivers,  should 
have  been  located  within  a  few  blocks  of  the 
wharves,  and  on  streets  conveniently  situated 
for  beginning  the  long  trip  over  the  old  road 
leading  West.  Two  of  these,  greatly  altered 
of  course,  and  long  since  put  to  more  common 
uses,  can  still  be  seen,  and  some  slight  traces 
of  a  third  one. 


MONUMENT  ERECTED  TO  THE  MEMORY  OF  THE 

SONS  AND  DAUGHTERS  OF  THE  AMERICAN 

REVOLUTION 

On   the   left    is   a    small   part    of   the    Mount    Royal    Station, 

B.    &   O.    R-    R. ;    on    the    right   a   view   in    Mount    Royal 

Avenue,  with  the  Watson  Monument  in  the  distance 


CONFEDERATE    MONUMENT,    FACING    SOUTHWEST 

ON  MT.  ROYAL  AVENUE,  BETWEEN  LAFAYETTE 

AVENUE  AND   MOSHER  STREET 

This    monument    can    be    plainly    seen    just    ahead    as    one 

turns  from  Mt.  Royal  Ave.   into  Lafayette  Ave.,  in 

making    the    westward    exit    from    Baltimore 

toward   Ellicott   City  that   way 

Undoubtedly,  the  most  popular  starting  point 
for  stage  coach  travel  and  transportation  of  goods 
was  the  May  Pole  Tavern,  which  stood  until 
comparatively  recent  years  on  the  southwest 
corner  of  German  and  Paca  Streets,  only  a  block 
from  West  Baltimore  Street,  the  shortest  way  into 
the  Old  Frederick  Road.  "In  front  of  it  stands," 
{Searight's  History,  1894),  "a  tall,  thin  granite 
column,  representative  of  a  pole,  and  preserva- 
tive of  the  ancient  name."  The  pole,  or  column 
has  since  disappeared,  but  one  may  at  least 
imagine  that  some  parts  of  the  somewhat  dilapi- 
dated business  building  on  that  corner  today  were 
left  from  the  old  tavern. 

On  the  northeast  corner  of  Paca  and  Pratt 
Streets  is  what  remains  of  the  Three  Tun  Tavern, 
a  favorite  stopping  place  for  stage-coach  travelers 
to  and  from  Washington,  as  well  as  for  those 
by  the  old  road  to  the  West.  Over  twenty  years 
ago  it  ceased  to  accommodate  transients;  the 
ground  floor  is  now  used  for  a  saloon,  and  the 
rest  of  the  building  for  miscellaneous  purposes. 
Its  stables,  which  stood  until  a  few  years  ago 
on  the  corner  of  Pratt  and  Green  Streets,  shel- 
tered in  their  day  large  numbers  of  stage  coaches, 
freight  wagons  and  prairie  schooners. 

Probably  the  only  one  of  the  old  taverns  in 
Baltimore  that  still  displays  its  former  name  (in 
letters  on  the  front),  is  the  Hand  House,  on  the 


IS 


west  side  of  Paca  Street,  just  above  Lexington. 
It  was  built  at  least  140  years  ago,  so  solidly 
that  it  might  stand  as  long  again ;  little  has  been 
done  to  change  the  appearance,  and  the  interior 
is  practically  the  same  as  when  it  took  care,  of 
travelers,  though  the  old  signboard,  in  the  shape 
of  a  hand,  has  disappeared.  At  one  end  of  the 
cellar,  cut  ofif  from  the  outer  wall  by  a  lighter 
wall  of  brick,  is  said  to  be  a  small  room  with  a 
barred  window,  often  used  as  a  detention  place 
for  negroes  in  the  prime  of  the  slave  trade.  There 
are  several  other  tavern  sites  of  lesser  interest 
if  one  has  time  to  look  them  up. 

Newer  Exits  Better  Than  the  Old 

Tourists  who  wish  to  go  out  of  Baltimore  by 
the  identical  route  followed  by  the  stage  coaches 
and  freight  wagons  can  do  so  by  following  West 
Baltimore  Street  direct  to  the  left  fork  of  Fred- 
erick Avenue  at  Gilmor  Street  and  along  into 
the  Old  Frederick  Road.  But  Baltimore  Street 
is  not  a  suitable  exit  for  automobiles ;  and  as  the 
city  has  grown  northward,  it  is  worth  while 
to  take  one  of  the  longer  but  better  ways  shown 
on  the  detail  map  pages  16  and  17.  Charles 
Street  is  usually  considered  the  basic  thoroughfare 
for  planning  trips  into  or  out  of  the  city,  and  the 
impressive   Washington    Monument,    at    Mount 


Vernon  Place,  shown  on  page  14,  the  actual 
route  center. 

One  short  good  way  would  be  from  North 
Charles  Street,  starting  west  from  the  residence 
of  Cardinal  Gibbons  (on  northwest  corner  of 
N.  Charles  and  Mulberry  Streets),  at  once  pass- 
ing the  cathedral  on  the  right,  and  running  along 
Mulberry  Street  to  the  intersection  of  Fulton 
Avenue.  Now  either  turn  right  on  Fulton 
Avenue,  cross  Franklin  Street,  and  turn  next 
left  into  Edmondson  Avenue;  or  turn  left  on 
Fulton  Avenue  to  the  unmistakable  right  fork  of 
Frederick  Avenue,  a  few  blocks  below.  But  if 
one  is  desirous  of  seeing  still  more  of  the  monu- 
ments for  which  Baltimore  is  justly  famous,  it 
is  even  preferable  to  go  up  North  Charles  Street 
to  Mt.  Royal  Avenue,  turning  left  and  follow- 
ing that  beautiful  avenue,  either  a  short  way  to 
Lafayette  Avenue  or  through  to  North  Avenue, 
using  in  either  case  the  connections  shown  on 
the  large-scale  map  pages  16  and  17  into 
Edmondson  Avenue. 

No  effort  has  been  made  to  select  one  arbitrary 
way  out  of  the  city,  but  rather  to  make  the  con- 
siderable choice  clear  to  the  stranger.  This  is 
the  only  part  of  the  route  where  such  choice  is 
possible,  as  from  Ellicott  City  through  to  Cum- 
berland and  Wheeling,  the  one  line  of  the  old 


See  next  page 

GRAPHIC    SUMMARY    OF    MAIN-TRAVELED    ROADS    LEADING    FROM    BALTIMORE 
WAY   TO    THE   WEST.      TO    A    CONSIDERABLE    EXTENT    THESE    SAME 

WAGON,  IN  THE  PALMY 

Through  traffic  over  them  was  "never  as  great  as  it  is  by  automobile  today.     The  principal 

the  Patapsco  River,  by  which  marine  commerce  from 

16 


road  takes  preference  over  everything  else.  The 
landmarks  and  points  of  interest  on  these  various 
exits  are  so  many  that  it  would  be  difficult  to 
include  even  mention  of  them  in  a  travel  sketch; 
but  as  many  as  space  allow  are  shown  on  the 
map  across  this  and  the  opposite  page. 

Beyond  the  city  line,  there  is  little  choice  be- 
tween the  Frederick  Avenue  and  the  Edmondson 
Avenue  routes,  the  former  passing  through  and 
the  other  a  trifle  above  Catonsville;  it  will  be 
noted  that  both  come  together  about  two  miles 
east  of  Ellicott  City,  and  follow  the  same  route 
to  the  crossing  of  the  Patapsco  at  that  point. 
The  Old  Frederick  Road  originally  took  a  north- 
westerly course  from  a  point  somewhat  east  of 
Ellicott  City  through  Oella,  crossing  the  river 
above  and  coming  into  the  line  of  the  present 
direct  road  farther  west,  over  at  least  some  pieces 
of  road  that  have  ceased  to  be  traveled  today. 

It  may  be  interesting  to  note  that  the  original 
line  of  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad  was  built 
across  the  same  territory,  though  by  a  more 
southerly  route  through  Relay,  now  as  then  half 
as  long  again  as  the  direct  highway.  The  first 
regular  rail  transportation  in  the  United  States 
was  inaugurated  on  the  route  between  Baltimore 
and  Ellicott  City;  relays  of  horses  were  used  at 
the  start,  steam  being  introduced  in  1830,  when 


Peter  Cooper  hauled  the  first  train  with  "Tom 
Thumb,"  the  pioneer  Amierican  locomotive. 
Later,  when  that  railway  became  a  large,  wide- 
spreading  system,  the  route  through  Relay,  Laurel 
and  Washington  was  made  its  main  line  to  and 
from  the  West. 

We  cross  the  Patapsco  River  by  a  comparatively 
new  concrete  bridge;  and  pass  under  the  "old 
main  line"  of  the  B.  &  O.  into  the  center  of 
Ellicott  City,  originally  settled  by  an  enterpris- 
ing family  of  that  name  from  Pennsylvania. 
When  they  came  in  1772,  the  country  here- 
abouts was  almost  a  primeval  wilderness;  but 
in  a  few  years  they  had  improved  the  road  over 
which  they  had  come  with  much  difficulty  from 
Baltimore;  and  also  widened  for  miles  the  Indian 
path  that  preceded  the  very  thoroughfare  now 
used  from  the  Patapsco  to  Frederick.  They 
built  saw-mills  and  grist-mills,  all  of  which  were 
operated  by  \yater-power ;  and  distributed  their 
various  products  widely  through  the  colony,  be- 
coming thereby  the  leading  merchants  of  that  sec- 
tion. 

Ellicott  City  was  then  and  for  long  after- 
wards, looked  upon  as  a  permanent  commercial 
and  industrial  center,  but  was  found  to  be  too 
near  Baltimore,  and  is  now  principally  a  resid- 
ence suburb  of  that  city.     If  one  has  time,  there 


LOaTION$  OF  HISTORIC  TAVERNS 

1  MayPoloTavem  (tvacesonl^) 

2  Three  Tuns  Tavern  (great!/  altered) 

3  Hand  House  (still  standing) 


Continued  from  preceding  page 

TO    ELLICOTT    CITY,    MARYLAND,    THE    FIRST    POINT    OF    IMPORTANCE    ON    THE 
HIGHWAYS    WERE    TRAVELED    BY    THE    STAGECOACH    AND    FREIGHT 
DAYS  OF  THE  OLD  PIKE 

taverns  were  located  in  what  is  now  the  downtown  business  center,  nearby  the  wharves  of 
Chesapeake  Bay  and  the  Atlantic  comes  into  Baltimore 


17 


TYPE   OF    EASY    "ROLLING"   ROAD 

A  succession  of  almost  well-balanced  ascents  and  descents,   characteristic  of  the   Baltimore- 
Wheeling  route,  except  in  the  more  mountainous  districts 


are  several  points  of  scenic  and  historic  interest 
in  and  about  the  town.  The  winding  old  main 
street  is  poorly  paved;  and  the  average  tourist  is 
glad  to  ascend  the  considerable  grade  from  the 
center  into  the  good  road  which  begins  at  the 
town  limits,  where  the  trolley  is  also  left  be- 
hind. 

A  Country  of  Rolling  Roads. 

Immediately  west  of  Ellicott  City  begins  an 
almost  continuous  series  of  sloping  elevations  and 
corresponding  depressions,  extending  practically 
through  Frederick  and  Hagerstown  to  Clear 
Spring,  beyond  which  the  nature  of  the  country 
makes  them  fewer  in  number,  though  they  occur 
in  less  pronounced  form,  and  at  greater  intervals, 
all  the  way  through  Cumberland  and  Uniontown 
to  Wheeling.  An  excellent  idea  of  this  char- 
acter of  road  is  given  in  the  illustration  on  this 
page;  in  most  cases  the  hills  are  ascended  and 
descended  by  very  long  straightaways,  so  that 
an  automobile  starting  down  the  opposite  slope 
appears  like  a  mere  speck  in  the  distance — at  first 
seeming  more  likely  to  be  standing  still  than 
moving. 

In  fact  two  machines  placed  just  right  will 
often  travel  at  speed  toward  each  other  for  a 
full  minute  or  more  before  turning  out  to  pass 
at  th6  foot.  One  result  of  their  great  length 
is  that  the  grades  are  not  usually  as  steep  as 
they  at  first  appear.  For  instance,  the  grade  in 
the  foreground,  over  which  the  automobile  has 
just  passed,  is  possibly  as  steep  as  any  part  of 
the  road  in  the  distance.  From  the  opposite 
heights,  fine  views  of  the  surrounding  country 
can  almost  always  be  had. 

There  is  a  definite  fascination  in  motoring  over 
this    road    not   accounted    for   by   the   fact   that 


the  surface  is  good  throughout  (except  in  some 
of  the  towns),  or  dispelled  by  one  ascent  and 
descent  following  another  with  almost  mechanical 
regularity.  Certainly  no  roads  in  the  "rolling 
prairie"  country  are  comparable  in  this  respect 
with  the  Baltimore-Frederick-Hagerstown  pikes. 
If  the  driver  wishes,  he  may  "coast"  a  half  mile, 
a  mile,  or  even  more,  and  let  the  momentum 
gained  carry  the  machine  most — occasionally  all 
— of  the  way  up  the  next  grade. 

On  the  left,  only  a  short  distance  west  of  Elli- 
cott City,  there  stands  an  old  toll-gate,  recalling 
the  considerable  number  that  once  collected  small 
amounts  from  every  kind  of  traffic  all  the  way 
to  the  Ohio  River.  But  the  conditions  that 
brought  them  into  existence  are  now  a  thing 
of  the  past;  and  one  may  travel  from  Baltimore 
through  Cumberland  to  Wheeling  without  paying 
a  cent  for  the  privilege.  These  old  toll-houses 
are,  however,  interesting  relics  of  the  olden  days, 
as  will  be  seen  from  characteristic  types,  especially 
on  the  western  half  of  the  old  road,  where  they 
were  better  preserved  than  in  Eastern  Maryland. 

Occasionally  unexpected  curves  shut  off  the 
view  immediately  ahead;  but  usually  these  are 
wide  and  the  surface  uniformly  good,  so  that 
careful  driving  is  all  that  is  necessary.  Good 
drainage  is  at  all  times  in  evidence;  and  every 
stream  is  bridged,  sometimes  more  elaborately 
and  expensively  than  would  seem  necessary.  Now 
and  then  we  pass  an  old,  low,  square  signpost 
" — M.  to  Baltimore,"  the  figures  and  letters  often 
difficult  to  decipher  at  speed.  Prosperous  farms 
line  both  sides  of  the  road,  although  the  buildings 
are  seldom  pretentious ;  most  of  the  houses  are 
painted  white,  the  fences,  barns  and  smaller  build- 
ings being  generally  whitewashed.     This  seems 


18 


to  be  a  fashion  throughout  Central  Maryland, 
like  the  red  barns  in  Pennsylvania,  and  adds  to 
the  attractiveness  of  the  country  in  spring  and 
summer. 

Through  Small  but  Interesting  Places 

On  the  right,  about  fifteen  miles  west  of  Balti- 
more, are  the  ruins  of  St.  Charles'  College,  burned 
in  February,  1911,  and  now  being  re-established 
at  Catonsville.  This  is  a  Catholic  institution, 
founded  July  11,  1831,  upon  funds  donated  by 
Charles  Carroll  of  Carrollton,  one  of  the  sign- 
ers of  the  Declaration  of  IrKiependence,  and  at 
that  time  probably  the  wealthiest  citizen  of  the 
colony,  who  gave  253  acres  of  land  from  his 
estate  and  some  money.  It  was  opened  in  Octo- 
ber, 1848  to  train  young  men  for  the  Catholic 
ministry,  and  is  affiliated  with  St.  Mary's  Uni- 
versity and  Theological  Seminary,  of  St.  Sulpice, 
Baltimore. 

Almost  immediately  opposite  the  college  grounds 
is  the  entrance  to  "Doughoregan  Manor,"  the 
Carroll  estate,  where  a  descendant  of  the  original 
family  still  resides.  Carroll  lived  to  see  not  only 
this  old  road  opened  to  the  Ohio  River,  but  laid 
the  cornerstone  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Rail- 
road in  1828,  about  four  years  before  his  death. 
This  is  all  old  and  historic  country,  and  it  would 
not  be  difficult  for  the  leisurely  traveler  to  find 
throughout  this  section  landmarks  dating  back 
to  the  early  days  of  Maryland,  when  that  colony 
was  a  loyal  supporter  of  the  British  crown. 


Unfortunately,  few  of  the  small  towns  can 
be  positively  identified  as  one  passes  through; 
and  the  name  of  a  place  over  the  post  office 
or  elsewhere  is  a  novelty.  The  diagonal  cross- 
road next  beyond  the  St.  Charles'  College  grounds 
is  West  Friendship,  where  a  good  road  branches 
to  the  right,  crossing  the  Patapsco  at  Sykesville, 
and  running  through  to  Westminster.  Already 
we  see  occasional  buildings  that  were  undoubtedly 
taverns  in  the  days  of  the  stage  coach  and  freight 
wagon,  but  they  lack  the  individuality  of  those 
farther  west ;  now  and  then  there  is  also  a  log 
house,  either  standing  alone  or  more  likely  added 
to  by  the  later  generation  of  occupants. 

Beyond  Cooksville,  larger  hills  appear  in  the 
far  distance;  and  we  know  that  beyond  them 
are  the  real  mountains.  On  the  left,  just  before 
reaching  Lisbon,  the  "Warfield  Pike"  branches 
off  to  the  left  about  three  miles  to  Daisy;  this 
road  was  built  and  is  now  looked  after  by  ex- 
Governor  Warfield,  of  Maryland,  to  whose  home 
it  runs,  and  is  called,  at  least  locally,  by  his 
name.  Lisbon,  the  largest  village  so  far  west  of 
Ellicott  City,  is  surrounded  by  prosperous  farms, 
the  houses  on  some  of  which  are  set  well  back 
from  the  road ;  next  are  the  hamlets  of  Poplar 
Springs  and  Poplar  Heights.  About  two  miles 
beyond  the  latter  a  decided  right  curve  is  made, 
crossing  first  a  stream  so  small  that  it  is  hardly 
noticeable  at  speed,  but  in  reality  the  south  branch 
of    the    Patapsco,    and    then    two    tracks   of   the 


,V1EW  OF  THE  B.  &  O.  R.   K     KKIDGE  OVER  THE  PATAPSCO  RIVER,  AND   STATION, 
RELAY,   MARYLAND,   LOOKING  NORTHEAST 

This  is  below   Catonsville,  a  short  distance  off  the   road  from   Baltimore  to   Hagerstown;   but  is 

interesting  to  the  tourist  over  this   route   from  the   fact  that  it  -was  the  junction   point  or 

"relay"  on  the  original  line  of  railroad  from  Baltimore  to  Ellicott  City.     A  close 

look  at  the  picture  will  disclose  a  monument  in  front  of  the  railroad  station, 
,  which  commemorates  the  first  stone  arch   railroad  bridge  in   America 

19 


B.  &  O.  old  main  line,  at  a  rather  dangerous 
angle,  into  Ridgeville. 

This  small  town  is  of  considerable  importance 
from  the  fact  that  the  main  route  from  Wash- 
ington via  Olney  and  Laytonsville  passes  north 
through  its  central  four-corners  to  Mt.  Airy, 
Westminster,  Hanover  and  York.  On  the  near 
right-hand  corner  is  the  Eagle  Hotel,  still  dis- 
playing the  almost  extinct  sign  of  the  League  of 
American  Wheelmen.  The  road  now  skirts  the 
north  side  of  the  railroad  for  about  four  miles; 
then  the  railway  leaves  to  the  left,  while  the  old 
pike  continues  its  direct  course  over  the  rolling 
hills  to  and  through  New  Market.  A  consider- 
able number  of  automobiles  are  noticed  in  the 
towns,  many  of  which  are  quite  a  distance  from 
the  railway  and  without  trolley  service.  Churches 
and  schools  are  the  principal  landmarks  in  most 
places,  with  now  and  then  an  old  tavern,  gener- 
ally small  and  unpretentious  on  this  part  of  the 
old  road. 

Nearing  the  "Debatable  Ground" 

About  five  miles  beyond  New  Market,  the  old 

pike  makes  a  long,  easy  descent  to  the  Monocacy 

River,  which  is  crossed  by  a  most  interesting  old 

stone  bridge,  shown  in  the  illustration  page  21. 

On  the  right-hand  side,  at  the  eastern  end,  is  a 

curiously-shaped   stone  pillar   in   the   form   of   a 

jug,  which  has  led  to  this  structure  being  widely 

known  as   the   "bottle"  bridge.     To  realize   its 

strength    one    must    leave    the    car    and    take    a 

careful  look  at  the  dimensions  of  the  solid  stone 

arches  and   the  depth   of  the  roadway;   and   to 

realize  that  it  was  built  without  aid  of  derricks, 

cranes  and  other  facilities  considered  necessary  for 

such  work  today.     The  inscription  on  the  "jug" 

or  bottle  is  now  somewhat  illegible,  but  originally 

read  about  as  follows: 

Built  in  years  of  1808-1809.  Supt.  of 
bridge  as  it  now  stands,  Leo  Harbaugh. 
James  Elliott,  1st  producer  of  the  bold  plan 
of  this  bridge.  Bridge  with  4  arches  65  ft. 
spans.  Supervisors,  John  Lewis  Wamphler, 
secretary  and  surveyor,  Joseph  Evans,  Supt. 
of  the  road. 

*  *  4i  4>  *  :<<  4< 

John  Elliott,  Luke  Lerman,  William  Lor- 
man,  George  Baer,  John  McPherson,  John 
Graham,  Jele  HoUingsworn,  Thomas  Lee, 
Managers. 

So  far  there  have  been  no  evidences  along  the 
old  road  of  this  having  been  part  of  the  "debat- 
able ground"  during  the  Civil  War;  but  only 
about  two  and  a  half  miles  southwest  from  the 
bridge,  as  the  crow  flies,  was  fought  the  Battle 
of  Monocacy,  on  July  9,  1863,  near  what  is  now 
Frederick  Junction,  on  the  old  main  line  of  the 
B.  &  O.  General  Early  was  in  command  of 
the  Confederate  Army,  and  General  Lew  Wal- 


lace of  the  Union  forces,  the  latter  consisting 
largely  of  Indiana  Zouaves  and  a  small  number 
of  raw  recruits.  They  met  on  the  western  bank 
of  the  Monocacy,  where  both  the  railroad  bridge 
and  the  bridge  over  the  road  to  and  from  Wash- 
ington were  protected  by  earthworks  and  two 
blockhouses.  Wallace  was  defeated,  but  the  de- 
lay occasioned  by  the  battle  probably  kept  Earljj 
from  entering  Washington  before  the  re-enforce- 
ments sent  by  Grant  could  have  opposed  them. 

The  road  now  ascends  a  grade  on  the  west  side 
of  the  Monocacy;  looking  over  to  the  left  from 
about  this  point,  the  tourist  sees  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  and  fertile  portions  of  Frederick  County, 
known  locally  as  the  Monocacy  or  Frederick 
Valley.  In  the  lower  part  of  this  valley,  between 
the  Monocacy  on  the  east,  a  stretch  of  the 
Potomac  on  the  south,  and  Catoctin  Mountain 
on  the  west,  is  a  tract  of  land  about  ten  miles 
square,  originally  taken  up  by  Charles  Carroll  of 
Carrollton,  and  occasionally  to  this  day  referred 
to  as  "Carroll's  Manor."  After  a  straight,  level 
stretch  of  somewhat  over  a  mile,  the  Fair 
Grounds  are  passed  (on  the  right)  into  East 
Patrick  Street,  crossing  the  Northern  Central 
R.  R.  at  grade  to  the  intersection  of  Market 
Street,  center  of  Frederick.  On  the  left-hand 
corner  is  the  Citizens'  National  Bank,  and  diag- 
onally opposite,  on  the  far  right-hand  corner,  the 
Frederick  County  National  Bank,  both  buildings 
lending  an  aspect  of  substantial  prosperity  to  the 
business  district.  This  is  the  largest  city  and  the 
best  place  to  lunch  between  Baltimore  and  Hag- 
erstown. 

Frederick,  a  very  old  place,  largely  settled  by 
Germans,  was  always  a  strategic  location ;  through 
it  passed  one  division  of  Braddock's  army,  on  the 
way  from  Alexandria,  Va.,  to  Fort  Cumberland 
in  1755,  following,  no  doubt,  a  considerable  pro- 
portion of  our  present  route  beyond  Frederick, 
and  passing  through  the  gap  in  Catoctin  Moun- 
tain at  Braddock  Heights,  a  few  miles  further 
west,  joining  the  Virginia  division  still  farther 
beyond.  However,  this  part  of  the  Braddock 
route  is  not  as  well  established  as  that  part  from 
Cumberland  to  Uniontown. 

During  the  Civil  War  it  was  overrun  by  por- 
tions of  both  armies,  and  was  completely  occupied 
by  the  Confederates  in  September,  1862,  when 
a  war  indemnity  of  $200,000  was  assessed  against 
it.  The  stone  freight  house  of  the  B.  &  O.  at 
Frederick  is  said  to  be  the  oldest  in  the  world. 
In  the  southern  part  of  the  city,  reached  by  a 
left  turn  down  Market  Street  at  the  central 
four-corners,  is  the  Francis  Scott  Key  monument, 
well  worth  a  brief  detour  to  see.    To  the  right. 


20 


OLD  STONE  BRIDGE  OVER  THE  MONOCACY  RIVER,  ABOUT  THREE  MILES  EAST 

OF  FREDERICK,   MD. 

The  bridge  is  as  solid  as  the  year  it  was  built;  but  the  inscriptions  on  the  "jug"  or  "bottle" 

at  the  eastern  end  have  become  partly  illegible.     Note  the  characteristic  upgrade  on 

the  western   side   of  the  bridge.     Photo  by  Marken  &   Bielfield,   Frederick 


at  the  extreme  upper  end  of  North  Market 
Street — as  one  would  leave  Frederick  for  Em- 
mittsburg  and  Gettysburg — is  Rose  Hill,  the 
country  seat  of  Thomas  Johnson,  first  State 
Governor  of  Maryland,  who  at  the  outbreak  of 
the  Revolutionary  War,  nominated  George 
Washington  as  Commander-in-Chief  of  the 
American  Armies. 

A  short  distance  straight  ahead,  now  on  West 
Patrick  Street,  the  tourist  crosses  a  short,  steel- 
frame  bridge  over  Carroll's  Creek,  a  tributary 
of  the  Monocacy;  on  the  left  railing  of  it  is  a 
tablet  erected  to  show  the  former  location  of 
the  Barbara  Fritchie  house,  torn  down  when  the 
creek  was  widened  some  years  ago.  The  inscrip- 
tion, which  is  quite  small  and  can  hardly  be  read 
from  the  car  seat,  is  as  follows: 

"Bravest  of  all  in  Fredericktown, 
She  took  up  the  flag  the  men  hauled  down." 

Though  the  weight  of  evidence  seems  to  be 
against  the  authenticity  of  the  incident  made 
famous  by  Whittier's  poem,  the  tourist  will 
usually  be  interested  to  stop  at  the  bridge  and 
read  the  tablet. 


Entering  the  Mountains 
At  the  stone  building  in  the  prominent  fork 
at  the  western  edge  of  Frederick,  our  route  bears 
right — leaving  the  trolley  which  runs  along  the 
left-hand  road  (Telegraph  Street  becoming  the 
Jefferson  Turnpike),  leading  to  Harper's  Ferry, 
less  than  twenty  miles  away.  The  road  starts 
out  level  and  fine;  on  either  side  are  fertile  farms, 
and  ahead  we  catch  our  first  view  of  the  real 
mountains  on  this  trip.  About  three  miles  be- 
yond we  come  to  Braddock  Village,  a  small  place 
whose  most  prominent  landmark  is  an  old  stone 
church,  so  much  like  the  Palatine  Church  in  the 
Mohawk  Valley  of  New  York  State  that  we 
are  not  surprised  to  be  informed  by  a  native 
that  it  was  built  by  the  German  Reformed  Luth- 
erans from  the  Palatinate,  many  of  whom  settled 
in  the  beautiful  Frederick  and  Middletown  val- 
leys on  the  east  and  west  sides  of  Catoctin  Moun- 
tain. 

Over  to  the  left,  just  beyond,  is  the  Braddock 
Heights  Observatory,  the  view  from  which,  em- 
bracing the  whole  of  the  South  Mountain  battle- 
field and  parts  of  four  states,  is  unexcelled  in  that 


THIS   INTERESTING  OLD  CITY  IS  ON   THE  ROUTES   FROM    BOTH    BALTIMORE    AND    WASHINGTON    TO 

HAGERSTOWN,  CUMBERLAND  AND  WEST 

21 


part  of  the  country.  Almost  immediately  we  be- 
gin the  ascent  of  Catoctin  Mountain,  first  of  the 
several  ranges  to  be  crossed  on  the  way  to  Cum- 
berland. A  rise  of  459  feet  from  Braddock 
Village  to  Braddock  Heights  is  made  in  tes 
than  two  miles,  but  over  so  good  a  road  that 
even  the  driver  has  some  chance  to  take  in  the 
scenery. 

On  the  left,  just  beyond  the  trolley  tracks, 
where  they  come  closest  to  the  road,  is  the  Brad- 
-dock  Spring,  at  the  foot  of  the  escarpment,  or 
precipitous  slope  of  the  mountain,  nearby  which 
tradition  says  that  Braddock's  army  camped  on 
its  way  to  Fort  Duquesne.  The  summer  colony 
on  the  heights  just  beyond,  is  supplied  with  water 
from  this  spring,  pumped  up  to  the  hotel  and 
cottages.  Immediately  after  passing  the  spring 
and  escarpment,  the  road  passes  through  a  little 
mountain  basin  before  reaching  the  top  of  the 
mountain  or  Braddock  Heights  proper,  where 
there  is  still  an  old  toll-gate,  and  just  beyond, 
on  the  left,  a  summer  hotel  and  quite  a  number 
of  cottages. 

Fine  views  are  had  in  every  direction  from 
this  summit;  and  it  is  doubly  worth  while  to 
stop  here  for  a  look  over  to  the  west  at  the 
South  Mountain  battlefields,  for  while  the  next 
few  miles  brings  one  nearer  to  them,  and,  in  fact, 
up  through  Turner's  Gap,  after  descending  into 
the  Middletown  Valley,  the  best  views  are  cut 
off  by  the  intervening  hills.  That  battlefield  be- 
gins where  South  Mountain  is  crossed  at  "Turn- 
er's Gap"  and  extends  southward  along  the  east- 
ern slope  of  the  mountain  about  six  miles  to 
"Cramptons  Gap."  At  this  latter  gap,  the  old 
war  correspondent,  George  Alfred  Townsend, 
bought  up  the  land  and  built  his  famous  moun- 
tain den  and  museum ;  there  also  was  erected  the 
"War  Correspondents'  Memorial  Arch,"  which 
can  also  be  seen  from  Braddock  Heights. 

At  about  the  top  the  trolley  is  crossed  and 
the  road  curves  right,  descending  the  equally  pic- 
turesque western  slope  of  Catoctin  Mountain 
toward  the  substantial  village  of  Middletown.  By 
this  time  the  tourist  has  probably  noticed  the 
occasional  peaks,  "knobs"  or  "knolls"  at  varying 
distances  'from  and  on  either  side  of  the  road. 
The  one  over  to  the  left  (south),  before  enter- 
ing the  town  is  known  locally  as  "High  Knob," 
and  the  one  northeast  "Mount  Katalpa,"  both 
of  which  were  frequently  used  as  signal  stations 
during  the  Civil  War. 

A  rather  large  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church 
stands  on  the  right  at  about  the  center  of  Mid- 
dletown ;  four  doors  west  of  it  is  the  old  stone 
house  in  which   the  late  Admiral   Stemble  was 


born  and  raised.  A  short  di.tance  farther  on  is 
the  old  home  of  Commodore  Geisinger,  who 
fought  the  pirates  at  Tripoli  and  Algiers,  and 
not  far  beyond  that  the  house  in  which  Ruther- 
ford B.  Hayes,  of  Ohio,  afterwards  President 
of  the  United  States,  was  nursed  by  a  family  in 
the  village  after  being  wounded  in  the  battle  of 
South  Mountain. 

Continue  on  the  main-traveled  road  through 
the  old  covered  bridge  across  Little  Catoctin 
Creek,  about  a  mile  beyond  the  town.  This 
bridge,  the  only  one  of  its  kind  now  remaining 
between  Baltimore  and  Wheeling,  was  built  about, 
1863  on  the  piers  of  the  one  burned  by  the 
Confederate  Army  during  the  battle  of  South 
Mountain,  and  looks  venerable  indeed.  It  has 
but  a  single  roadway,  and  was  put  up  square  with 
the  stream  underneath,  but  zigzag  with  the  high- 
way; the  coming  of  the  automobile  made  it  prac- 
tically necessary  to  remove  some  of  the  side- 
timbers  so  that  approaching  traffic  can  be  seen. 


OLD    COVERED    BRIDGE    JUST    WEST    Ol'    MIDDLE- 
TOWN,    MARYLAND.      NOTE    THE    STEEP 
RISE   OF  THE   PIKE  BEYOND 

From  now  on  there  is  a  long  gradual  rise,  the 
road  crossing  a  tributary  of  the  Little  Catoctin 
twice,  once  near  the  Everhart  School  and  again 
at  the  hamlet  of  Bolivar.  Then  follows  a 
longer,  sharper  ascent,  part  of  the  way  on  the 
side  of  the  hill;  this  had  better  be  taken  slowly 
and  with  care,  not  only  on  account  of  the 
grade  and  to  be  prepared  to  pass  travel  from 
the  other  direction,  but  to  enable  all  to  enjoy 
the  many  exquisite  views.  Continue  through  the 
pass  known  as  Turner's  Gap  to  the  summit  of 
South  Mountain,  where  stands,  on  the  right,  a 
large  but  solitary  stone  Catholic  church,  and 
immediately  beyond  it  a  row  of  six  tablets,  giv- 
ing in  clear  metal  type  on  iron  backgrounds,  a 
good  general  idea  of  the  movements  of  both 
Federal  and  Confederate  armies  across  this  sum- 
mit during  the  Civil  War. 


22 


DETAIL  OF  THE  ROUTE  BETWEEN  BALTIMORE  AND  HAGERSTOWN,  MD. 


This  is  No.   1  reading  from  East  to  West,  or  No.  4  reading  from  West  to  East 


.^^AS^^ 


Lon^  straiiMaways  of  rolling  roads'! 
Frequent  small  streanns  crossed  by  solid  culverts  or  bridges 


This  is  No.  2  reading  from  East  to  West,  or  No.  3  reading  from  West  to  East 


fffjO 


red 
dS,^ 


^'m 


^: 


\>fiM 


!« 


!#- 


^Wer/<r>r£'??-'|^"'' 


Semi-mountainous  country, 
with  many  fine  i/ieivs  and  several 
points  or  tiistorical  interest 


This  is  No.  3  reading  from  East  to  West,  or  No.  2  reading  from  West  to  East 


<a?4'tf    /Mostly  rollin4roadi throu^ti  ^^^. 
^tf'^      semi-mountainous  country- 
picturesque  and  historic 


This  is  No.  4  reading  from  East  to  West,  or  No.   1   reading  from  West  to  East 

23 


Opposite  the  church — shown  as  "Dahlgren 
Church"  on  the  government  survey  sheets  today — • 
and  at  the  edge  of  the  forest,  stands  the  old 
"Mountain  House,"  famous  during  stage-coach 
days  as  the  stopping  place  of  prominent  men 
journeying  to  and  from  Washington.  Several 
presidents  and  a  number  of  old-time  statesmen 
spent  the  night  under  the  roof  of  this  famous 
hostelry.  Directly  after  the  Civil  War,  the 
widow  of  the  late  Admiral  Dahlgren  bought  the 
place  for  a  summer  home;  for  years  it  was  the 
resort  of  many  fashionable  people  from  Wash- 
ington and  elsewhere.  In  the  vault  under  the 
church  lie  the  remains  of  the  admiral  and  his 
wife. 

Historic  South  Mountain 
The  wonderfully  scenic  gap  up  through  which 
the  tourist  has  just  come  is  one  of  the  most 
strategic  and  important  in  the  northeastern  Blue 
Ridge  Mountains;  and  here,  if  not  before,  one 
realizes  why  the  border-line  States  of  Maryland 
and  Virginia  were  crossed  so  many  times  by  the 
contending  armies  during  the  war  between  the 
States.  South  Mountain  is  not  only  on  this  pre- 
eminent main  line  to  and  from  the  West,  but 
also  on  the  natural  routes  between  Harper's 
Ferry,  and  Potomac  or  Shenandoah  River  points 
farther  west  or  south,  and  Southern  Pennsyl- 
vania. This  accounts  for  its  being  traveled  and 
fought  over  so  constantly  in  the  momentous  cam- 
paigns whose  high  points  were  Gettysburg,  only 
about  thirty  air-line  miles  to  the  northeast,  and 
Antietam,  less  than  a  third  as  far  almost  directly 
west,  though,  of  course,  much  longer  distances 
had  to  be  traveled  in  reaching  either. 

Limitations  of  space  forbid  adequate  reference 
here  to  the  military  operations  on  and  about  South 
Mountain ;  but  it  will  well  repay  the  tourist  to 
stop  at  least  long  enough  to  carefully  read  the 
tablets,  and  thus  make  a  brief  study  of  history 
in  the  very  locality  where  some  of  it  was  made. 
But  not  to  dismiss  the  subject  abruptly,  it  might 
be  said  that  after  the  second  battle  of  Bull  Run, 
also  called  the  Battle  of  Manassas,  August  29-30, 
1862,  and  of  Chantilly,  August  31st,  both  ad- 
verse to  the  Union  cause,  Lee's  army  of  about 
60,00©"  came  up  through  Leesburg,  Va.,  and 
crossed  the  Potomac  at  White's  Ford  into  Mary- 
land, continuing  north  to  Frederick,  which  was 
reached  on  September  8th. 

In  thus  entering  northern  territory  east  of  the 
Blue  Ridge,  Lee  anticipated  that  the  Union  forces 
at  Harper's  Ferry  would  be  withdrawn,  thus 
opening  his  line  of  communication  through  the 
Shenandoah  Valley.  But  as  this  was  not  done, 
it  became  necessary  to  dislodge  that  garrison  be- 


fore concentrating  the  Confederate  army  west  of 
the  Blue  Ridge;  so  Lee's  army  was  divided  and 
Stonewall  Jackson  with  25,000  men  was  dis- 
patched to  capture  Harper's  Ferry  and  Martins- 
burg.  General  McClellan  was  quickly  sent 
against  the  rest  of  Lee's  army  with  all  the  forces 
not  needed  for  the  defense  of  Washington,  reach- 
ing Frederick  with  from  80,000  to  90,000  men 
just  after  Jackson  had  started  west  over  our 
identical  route  across  Catoctin  Mountain  toward 
South  Mountain. 

In  the  narrow  defile  of  Turner's  Gap,  on 
September  14,  1862,  General  D.  H.  Hill  (Con- 
federate) with  only  about  6,000  men,  but  with 
the  advantage  of  defense  from  the  higher  ground 
in  the  western  part  of  this  mountain  pass,  suc- 
cessfully resisted  repeated  assaults  by  Hooker's 
and  Burnside's  (Federal)  corps  amounting  to 
30,000.  In  the  afternoon.  Hill  was  re-enforced 
by  1,900  men,  and  later  in  the  day  by  Longstreet 
with  six  brigades,  though  only  four  of  them, 
numbering  about  3,000,  were  actually  engaged. 

After  contesting  the  pass  from  8  A.  M.  until 
dark,  the  Confederates  retired,  though  on  their 
way  south  they  did  capture  Harper's  Ferry,  as 
Lee  had  planned.  The  Federal  loss  was  328 
killed  and  1,463  wounded  or  missing.  It  was 
at  South  Mountain  that  Rutherford  B.  Hayes 
was  wounded,  as  noted  in  the  paragraph  referring 
to  Middletown,  and  here  William  McKinley, 
afterwards  President,  received  his  first  promotion. 

Last  Stretch  into  Hagerstown 
Just  beyond  the  large  stone  church  and  row 
of  tablets  on  the  summit  of  South  Mountain, 
we  pass — on  the  right  just  off  the  road — the 
picturesque  little  mountain  village  of  Zittlestown, 
whose  most  prominent  landmarks  are  a  church 
and  school.  Then  follows  a  winding  down- 
grade, the  road  at  times  running  along  a  ledge 
beside  a  stream,  which  shortly  passes  under  the 
highway  and  flows  off  to  the  left  across  a  fine 
valley  to  Antietam  Creek.  A  short  distance  ahead 
we  run  by  a  prominent  speed-warning  sign  into 
Boonsboro,  a  place  of  considerable  size,  but  with 
a  poorly-paved  main  street,  and  pass  on  the  left 
a  prominent  road  by  which  a  considerable  short- 
cut can  be  made,  if  desired,  to  Sharpsburg,  for 
the  Antietam  Battlefield  or  for  Shenandoah 
Valley  points,  as  compared  with  going  through 
Hagerstown. 

Start  out  of  Boonsboro  with  the  trolley,  but 
where  the  tracks  leave  to  the  left,  a  mile  or  s6 
beyond,  continue  straight  ahead  on  the  main  pike, 
which  after  going  through  a  very  rocky  section, 
, comes  to  the  little  village  of  Benevola.  Here 
pass  on  the  right  an  old  roadhouse  and  store,  and 


24 


cross  a  stone  bridge  over  Little  Beaver  Creek; 
beyond,  also  on  the  right,  about  200  yards  across 
the  fields  from  the  pike,  can  be  seen  the  Harmony 
Hill  School,  a  brick  building,  occupying  a  site 
used  for  educational  purposes  for  more  than  a 
hundred  years. 

Continue  straight  ahead  across  Beaver  Creek 
(first  stone  bridge  beyond  Benevola)  ;  now,  over 
to  the  left,  the  tourist  can  see  the  winding,  slug- 
gish Antietam,  one  of  whose  loops  comes  almost 
to  the  edge  of  the  roadway,  and  then  bears 
sharply  away.  At  this  point,  there  is  a  decided 
right  curve  to  still  another  stone  bridge,  and 
on  the  right,  part  way  up  the  hill  beyond,  one 
may  notice  what  that  locality  knows  as  the  "Half- 
Way  House"  between  Boonsboro  and  Hagers- 
town.  The  road  is  now  direct  to  the  edge  of 
Funkstown,  where  the  trolley  is  met  and  a 
square  left  turn  made  into  the  main  street  of  that 
place. 

Follow  the  trolley  to  the  last  four-corners  of 
Funkstown  where,  opposite  a  large  brick  build- 
ing, turn  right  with  the  tracks,  crossing  the  stone 
bridge  over  Antietam  Creek,  which  pursues  its 
characteristic  meandering  course  to  the  northeast, 
not  to  be  seen  again  on  this  route.  When  the 
trolley  turns  left,  continue  straight  ahead  on 
the  main  pike,  crossing  a  short  stone  bridge  into 
Frederick  Street,  Hagerstown,  to  its  end  at  East 
Baltimore  Street.  Turn  diagonally  left  on  the 
latter   street    to    South    Potomac    Street,    where 


meet  trolley,  turning  right  on  South  Potomac 
Street  to  the  Square,  center  of  the  city. 

Hagerstown  is  one  of  the  most  important  route 
centers  of  its  size  in  the  United  States,  great 
trunk-line  highways  extending  in  practically  every 
direction.  In  addition  to  this  old  road  between 
Baltimore  and  Cumberland,  there  are  two  com- 
plete lines  southward  to  Winchester,  at  the 
head  of  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  one  through  the 
Antietam  Battlefield,  Sharpsburg,  Charles  Town 
and  Berryville,  and  the  other  through  Williams- 
port  and  Martinsburg.  Leading  to  the  north- 
east is  the  equally  important  route  to  Waynes- 
boro and  Gettysburg;  almost  directly  north  the 
one  to  Greencastle  and  Chambersburg,  and  to 
the  northwest  the  road  through  Cearfoss  and 
Mercersburg  to  McConnellsburg,  making  a  short- 
cut to  Bedford  and  Pittsburgh. 

H^lf  northern,  half  southern,  the  meeting 
point  of  so  many  strategic  roads,  and  especially 
with  a  convenient  location  in  the  Cumberland 
Valley,  the  great  natural  thoroughfare  between 
the  Shenandoah  Valley  and  Southern  Pennsyl- 
vania, the  district  of  which  Hagerstown  is  tlie 
center  was  necessarily  crossed  and  recrossed  by 
both  armies  during  the  Civil  War.  But  no  en- 
gagements of  importance  took  place  actually  on 
our  route  in  this  immediate  vicinity,  the  great 
military  movements  culminating  at  Antietam, 
eleven  miles  south,  and  at  Gettysburg,  thirty 
five  miles  northeast. 


A    VIEW    FROM    OUT    OF    THE    PAST— CHARACTERISTIC    TOLL    BARRIER    AND 

STRONG  CORD  REACHING  ACROSS  TO  THE  HOUSE   ON  THE  RIGHT-HAND 

SIDE  OF  THE  ROAD;  ALSO  KEEPER  IN  THE  ACT  OF  COLLECTING  TOLL. 

A   few  of  these  old   houses  still   remain,   even   between   Baltimore,    Frederick  and  Hagerstown, 
but   the   poles   are  all  gone;    likewise   the  old   generation   of  toll-keepers,   and   the    road   is 
free   from   Chesapeake   Bay   to   the   Ohio   River.      The    road   is  also   much    better   now 
than   when   this   view   was   taken 


25 


AN   INTERESTING   OLD 

CITY  IN  CENTRAL 

MARYLAND 

The_  heavy  line  represents  the 
Baltimore  -  Cumberland  route 
through  Hagerstown,  which  city 
is  also  the  principal  northern 
gateway  to  the  Antietam  Battle- 
field and  the  Shenandoah  Valley 
of    Virginia 


Chapters:    HAGERSTOWN  THROUGH  HANCOCK  TO  CUMBERLAND, 

MARYLAND 


HAT  portion  of  the  old  road  from 
Frederick  to  Hagerstown  follows 
a  northwesterly  course  practically 
throughout;  but  in  leaving  Hagers- 
town —  out  West  Washington 
Street  from  the  Square — our  route  is  as  nearly 
an  air-line  to  the  mountains  as  the  nature  of 
the  country  permits.  Pass  the  Court  House  on 
the  left,  cross  the  Cumberland  Valley  and  West- 
ern Maryland  Railroad  tracks,  both  at  grade, 
to  the  brick  church  in  the  fork  at  the  far  end 
of  the  city;  there  take  the  left-hand  road  with 
trolley,  following  brick  pavement  to  end  of  same, 
then  (leaving  car  tracks)  direct  out  on  excellent 
macadam.  About  four  miles  beyond  Hagerstown 
we  cross  the  Greencastle  Turnpike  at  Huyett 
(scarcely  noticed  at  speed)  ;  that  north-and-south 
road  is  important,  however,  as  it  provides  a  short- 
cut from  McConnellsburg,  on  the  Pittsburgh- 
Gettysburg  through  route,  to  Williamsport,  Mary- 
land, and  the  Shenandoah  Valley  of  Virginia 
without  fhe  necessity  of  going  through  Hagers- 
town. 

For  a  mile  or  so  the  road  ascends  a  consider- 
able winding  grade,  from  the  top  of  which  a 
fine  view  is  had  of  the  curiously-winding  Cono- 
cocheague,  mentioned  by  Christopher  Gist  in  his 
"Journals"  (1751-52)  as  Indian  for  "Indeed  a 
long  way" — a  description  that  could  hardly  be 
improved  upon ;  see  detail  map  page  29.  Just 
visible  beyond  are  the  summits  of  a  steeper  range 


than  any  yet  crossed  on  the  way  from  Baltimore ; 
at  last  we  actually  feel  in  the  mountains,  though 
the  distance  to  them  is  still  about  twice  what 
the  traveler  might  at  first  judge.  Very  shortly 
the  road  descends  to  the  level  of  the  Conoco- 
cheague,  which  is  crossed  by  a  stone  bridge; 
immediately  on  the  other  side  a  sharp  left  turn 
is  made,  and  then  right,  upgrade  through  the 
hamlet  of  Wilson.  Continue  straight  ahead 
through  Spickler,  coming  in  front  of  St.  Paul's 
Lutheran  and  Reformed  church  (on  right)  ; 
while  the  present  stone  edifice  was  built  only 
about  fifteen  years  ago,  when  the  nearest  town 
was  six  miles  away,  the  site  it  occupies  has  been 
used  for  religious  purposes  for  more  than  a 
hundred  years. 

Last  Views  of  the  "Debatable  Ground" 
Immediately  west  of  St.  Paul's  Church,  Fair- 
view  Mountain  (so  called  north  of  the  Potomac; 
the  same  ridge  below  that  river  is  called  North 
Mountain),  looms  up  more  boldly  than  any  other 
range  crossed  so  far  on  this  trip;  at  first  glance 
it  would  seem  insurmountable,  but  gradually  one 
can  distinguish  the  pass  through  which  our  road 
is  about  to  climb.  The  pleasing  stillness  char- 
acteristic of  mountainous  regions  now  comes  upon 
the  traveler;  and  real  country  people  are  met 
on-  the  highway,  which  continues  through  the 
hamlet  of  Shady  Bower  into  the  village  of  Clear 


26 


Spring,  whose  main  street  is  badly  paved  and 
has  some  very  inconvenient  crosswalks. 

The  distance  of  approximately  12  miles  from 
Hagerstown  to  this  point  is  across  the  western- 
most section  traversed  by  the  Confederate  armies 
on  their  excursions  from  Virginia  into  Maryland 
and  Pennsylvania  during  the  Civil  War.  Com- 
pared with  the  extremely  hilly  sections  farther 
west,  this  is  fairly  level  country,  through  which 
the  Conococheague  winds  like  a  huge  serpent; 
and  there  are  north-and-south  roads  on  either 
side  of  it.  On  October  10,  1862,  shortly  after 
the  Battle  of  Antietam,  Gen.  J.  E.  B.  Stuart, 
with  1,800  Confederate  cavalry,  crossed  the 
Potomac  at  or  near  McCoy's  Ferry,  about  four 
air-line  miles  southwest  of  Clear  Spring,  and 
proceeded  northeast  toward  this  east-and-west 
road,  intent  on  capturing  Hagerstown.  But  find- 
ing that  the  Federals  were  aware  of  his  approach, 
he  turned  north,  crossing  the  Pike  a  short  dis- 
tance west  of  Clear  Spring,  thence  through  Mer- 
cersburg  to  Chambersburg,  which  he  partially 
burned. 

Our  road  continues  straight  west  through 
Clear  Spring.  Even  when  near  Fairview  Moun- 
tain, one  may  mom-entarily  lose  sight  of  the  pass, 
and  again  wonder  if  it  is  possible  to  make  the 
ascent ;  but  shortly  the  way  opens  up,  the  road 
at  first  curving  left  along  the  north  side  of  Boyd 


Mountain,  and  then  winding  by  an  easy  but  con- 
stant grade  to  the  top  of  Fairview,  at  an  eleva- 
tion of  1,000  feet,  or  434  feet  above  Clear  Spring. 

This  climb  had  better  be  taken  deliberately, 
especially  as  there  are  some  curves  near  the  top, 
though  the  surface  is  good  throughout  and  the 
drainage  excellent.  Looking  back  from  the  sum- 
mit, there  are  fine  views  of  the  valley  left  be- 
hind on  the  eastern  slope  of  Fairview  Mountain; 
in  favorable  weather  one  may  also  look  over  to 
the  southwest  and  see  the  quiet,  majestic  Poto- 
mac, whose  northern  course  is  gradually  bring- 
ing it  into  our  route.  From  now  on  we  shall 
be  in  the  mountains  almost  constantly  to  Union- 
town,  Pa. ;  and  the  change  is  complete  both 
from  the  levels  of  eastern  Maryland  and  the 
"rolling  roads"  of  the  central  part  of  the  "Old 
Line  State."  Descending  Fairview  Mountain, 
through  possibly  a  wilder  section  than  the  as- 
cent, the  road  finds  quite  a  long  level  stretch 
leading  into  the  hamlet  of  Indian  Spring. 

The  first  left  turn  beyond  the  country  store 
at  Indian  Spring  leads  to  Big  Pool,  and  thence 
southeasterly  along  or  nearby  the  Potomac  (a 
widening  of  which  makes  the  "pool"),  to  old 
Fort  Frederick.  That  detour,  which  is  shown 
complete  on  the  map  page  29,  is  included  here 
for  the  convenience  of  any  who  may  desire  to 
visit,  without  much  loss  of  time  and  with  little 


VIEW  INSIDE  OLD  FORT  FREDERICK.  ALONG  THE   POTOMAC,    GIVING    SOME   IDEA  OF   ITS   EXTENT 

The  fort,  now  a  part  of  the  Homer  Cavanaugh  farm,  Big  Pool,    Maryland,    is    only    a    short    distance    from    the    Pike, 

and  well  worth  a  visit 


27 


additional  mileage,  a  colonial  fort  whose  walls 
are  still  standing  very  much  as  they  were  before 
the  Revolutionary  War. 

Several  Miles  Along  the  Potomac 
Almost  immediately  beyond  Indian  Springs, 
the  road  comes  within  plain  sight  of  the  Potomac ; 
and  after  a  curve  downgrade  to  cross  Licking 
Creek,  it  runs  along  the  north  side  of  the  Chesa- 
peake &  Ohio  Canal,  and  that  historic  river 
whose  course  it  follows  practically  all  the  way 
to  Cumberland.  Though  on  this  trip  we  see 
comparatively  little  of  that  canal,  its  history  is 
closely  related  to  that  of  the  old  Pike;  both  were 
projected  to  facilitate  travel  and  transportation 
to  and  from  the  West;  and  were  almost  indis- 


CHARACTERISTIC  VIEW  OF  THE  CHESAPEAKE  & 
OHIO  CANAL 

One  of  the  most  picturesque  artificial  waterways  in  the  United 

States;  in  the  distance  are  shown  the  hills  of  Maryland 

and  West   Virginia 

pensable  factors,  especially  in  assisting  emigration 
to  or  beyond  the  Ohio  River  before  the  building 
of  the  railway.  Many  of  the  water  courses  of 
Maryland  and  Virginia  were  extensively  navi- 
gated in  the  seaboard  and  central  parts  of  these 
states  during  Colonial  times;  but  through  transit 
to  the  mountains  was  accomplished  slowly  and 
with  great  difficulty. 

The  canal  owed  its  inception  to  George  Wash- 
ington, who  on  July  20,  1770,  wrote  to  Thomas 
Johnson,  the  first  state  governor  of  Maryland^ 
suggesting  that  the  Potomac  be  opened  up  on 


an  enlarged  plan,  providing  an  uninterrupted 
passage  to  Cumberland  and  a  portage  to  the 
Ohio,  "as  a  means  of  becoming  the  channel  of 
conveyance  for  the  extensive  and  valuable  trade 
of  a  rising  empire."  After  returning  to  private 
life  at  Mount  Vernon,  the  "Father  of  his 
Country"  continued  to  be  greatly  interested  in 
the  development  of  transportation  facilities  to 
and  from  the  West.  With  the  Marquis  de 
Lafayette,  he  attended  a  conference  of  delegates 
from  Virginia  and  Maryland,  which  met  at  An- 
napolis in  December,  1784,  to  organize  the 
Potomac  Co.,  the  earliest  attempt  to  work 
out  practical  results  along  these  lines;  and  Wash- 
ington became  its  first  president.  It  is  said  that 
he  even  assisted  personally  in  some  of  the  pre- 
liminary surveys  of  that  river  west  of  where  the 
Monocacy  joins   it. 

Though  little  was  accomplished  for  about  forty 
years,  the  idea  became  firmly  rooted,  as  evidenced 
in  1790,  when  one  of  the  decisive  arguments  in 
favor  of  selecting  Washington  as  the  permanent 
national  capital  was  that  it  was  at  the  head  of 
tide-water  on  the  Atlantic,  and  also  in  such  a 
situation  as  would  enable  it  at  some  future  day 
to  be  connected  "by  a  noble  canal  with  the  great 
waters  of  the  West."  On  January  27,  1824, 
about  six  years  after  the  Old  National  Road  had 
been  opened  to  Wheeling,  the  Chesapeake  &  Ohio 
Canal  Co.,  successor  to  the  rights  of  the  Potomac 
Co.,  was  incorporated  to  build  a  waterway 
through  to  the  Ohio,  though  in  1826  the  idea 
of  carrying  it  across  the  AUeghenies  was  finally 
given  up,  and  Cumberland  became  the  western 
terminus. 

Practically  throughout  the  ten  miles  or  so 
from  Indian  Springs  to  just  beyond  Hancock, 
where  road  and  river  part,  there  is  a  succession 
of  wonderful  pictures,  of  which  the  one  on 
page  31  is  typical.  Sometimes  the  hills  near 
the  water's  edge  are  almost  as  abrupt  as  the  Pali- 
sades of  the  Hudson,  the  opening  between  the 
mountain  ranges  on  either  side  being  apparently 
wide  enough  only  to  allow  free  passage  of  the 
waters.  Though  the  general  aspect  is  about  the 
same  over  this  stretch,  every  angle  furnishes  a 
somewhat  different  and  always  fascinating  view. 
Our  road,  and  the  two  railroads  since  built  along 
the  route,  are  all  obliged  to  accommodate  them- 
selves as  well  as  possible  to  the  topography,  the 
highway  and  the  Western  Maryland  Railroad 
along  the  upper  bank,  and  the  greater  Baltimore 
&  Ohio  system  only  a  short  distance  away  on 
the  lower  bank.  Looking  south  from  the  old 
-  Pike,  the  tourist  occasionally  sees  one  or  more 
old-fashioned  canal  boats,  seemingly  slow  as  fate 


28 


and  almost  a  relic  of  by-gone  days;  then,  as 
likely  as  not,  there  is  a  glimpse  in  the  farther 
distance  of  the  flying  through  trains  of  the 
B.  &  O.  As  one  rides  along  this  portion,  the 
higher  hills  seem  to  be  those  on  the  south  side 
of  the  river.  On  the  left,  a  short  distance  be- 
yond Millstone,  there  is  a  considerable  widening 
of  the  river,  making  a  natural  harbor  in  which 
several  canal  boats  can  usually  be  seen. 

Continue  on  the  main  road,  which  shortly  bears 
a  trifle  away  from  the  river  to  cross  Great 
Tonoloway  Creek;  over  to  the  left,  from  the 
considerable  grades  on  each  side  of  the  bridge, 
there  are  fine  views  down  the  valley  of  the  creek. 


including  its  junction  with  the  Potomac.  Xhen 
the  way  is  direct  into  Main  Street,  Hancock, 
named  after  John  Hancock,  once  president  of 
the  Continental  Congress  and  first  governor  of 
Massachusetts,  whose  bold  signature  has  been  im- 
mortalized by  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 
Its  present  site  was  known  to  the  early  explor- 
ers and  travelers  as  the  "North "  Bend  of  the 
Potomac" — a  very  apt  description,  as  it  is  the 
most  northerly  point  on  the  entire  river. 

Hancock  is  a  prosperous-looking  place,  with 
a  large,  almost  pretentious,  hotel  on  the  right; 
on  the  left,  at  the  center  of  the  town,  is  the 
Western  Maryland  Railroad  Station,  the  Balti- 


Good road  all  the  way  -^ 

including  ascent  and  'qI 

descent  of  iaIrviewMIn  '^ 


DETAIL  MAP   OF   ROUTE   FROM    HAGERSTOWN   TO    INDIAN    SPRINGS,    MD. 

No.  1  traveling  from  Hagerstown  to  Cumberland,  or  No.  3  traveling  from  West  to  East 


DETAIL  MAP  OF  ROUTE  THROUGH  HANCOCK  AND  ACROSS  SIDELING  HILL  IN 

MARYLAND 
No.  2  whether  traveling  from  Hagerstown  to  Cumberland,  or  from  West  to  East     " 


^^MBERLAND    f§     /^   J 

•^See  separate  map  ^ft/f^       AVA 

'r  for  details  Jf^     >3)      tWi- 


DETAIL  MAP  OF  ROUTE  FROM  GREEN  RIDGE  THROUGH   FLINTSTONE  TO 

CUMBERLAND.  MD. 
No.  3  traveling  from  Hagerstown  to  Cumberland,  or  No.  1  traveling  from  West  to  East 


29 


Hancock  is  f'hc  mos^ 
notthcrli^  point  on 
the  Pohmac  River 


DETAIL  THROUGH 

HANTCOCK 


HANCOCK,  MARYLAND,  IS 
THE  LARGEST  PLACE  BE- 
TWEEN HAGERSTOWN  AND 
CUMBERLAND,  AND  AN 
INTERESTING,  HISTORIC 
TOWN 


more  &  Ohio  Railroad  being  across  the  river  on 
the  West  Virginia  side.  It  is  also  the  point 
where  one  would  turn  south  from  the  main  pike, 
crossing  the  Potomac  over  a  fine  bridge  for  a 
side  trip  of  about  six  miles  to  Berkeley  Springs, 
W.  Va.,  a  popular  resort  since  George  Washing-  . 
ton's  day.  Quite  a  number  of  tourists  make 
this  short  but  interesting  detour. 

Leaving  Hancock  for  Cumberland,  a  distance 
of  about  40  miles,  it  is  important  to  carry  suf- 
ficient gasoline  and  oil  for  about  half  more  than 
that  distance  over  ordinary  roads,  as  many  hills 
must  be  climbed  on  low  gear,  and  additional  sup- 
plies cannot  be  counted  upon  at  any  intermediate 
point.  Pass  a  prominent  right-hand  road  at  the 
farther  edge  of  the  town,  keeping  to  the  left 
across  an  iron  bridge  oyer  Tonoloway  Creek ; 
then  gradually  up-grade  on  the  eastern  slope  of 
Tonoloway  Ridge.  From  about  this  point  on, 
the  Potomac  bends  far  southward,  and  is  not 
again  in  sight  until  near  Cumberland ;  and,  as 
shown  graphically  by  the  condensed  map  on 
page  9,  the  old  road  winds  over  a  continuous 
series  of  ridges  all  the  way  across  the  inter- 
mediate territory. 

Traveling  the  Mountain  Roads 

While  the  highway  from  west  of  Hancock  to 
Cumberland  is  one  of  the  most  winding  of  its 
length  in  the  United  States,  there  is  absolutely 
no  chance  to  lose  the  way,  and  the  most  should  be 
made  of  the  opportunity  for  viewing  the  scenery. 
As  shown  by  the  detail  maps  on  page  29,  many 
of  the  various  upgrades  and  downgrades  are  quite 
long  and  steep;  but  the  curves  are  mostly  wide 
and  the  surface  fair  to  good  throughout.  With 
the  car  in  good  condition,  and  carefully  driven, 


there  is  no  danger,  though  one  should  not  stop  on 
the  curves  to  view  the  scenery ;  and  it  is  well 
also  to  keep  on  the  lookout  for  vehicles  approach- 
ing from  the  opposite  direction. 

Specific  description  of  the  different  ranges 
crossed  would  be  difficult  at  best ;  and  the  detailed 
maps  show  the  roadway  over  them  more  graph- 
ically than  text  could  possibly  do;  so  the  fol- 
lowing paragraphs  are  purposely  condensed.  The 
next  range  west  of  Tonoloway,  and  the  second 
one  beyond  Hancock,  is  known  as  Sideling  Hill, 
which  reaches  an  elevation  of  1,633  feet  just  be- 
fore the  principal  curve  on  the  summit.  From 
this  point  several  wonderful  views  are  to  be 
had,  not  only  eastward  across  the  valley  or  vast 
ravine  between  the  two  ridges,  but  also  west- 
ward over  an  apparently  endless  extension  of 
mountains,  through  which  Sideling  Hill  Creek 
winds  its  way  to  the  now  more-distant  Potomac. 

Higher  elevations  than  this  will  be  found  on 
some  of  the  ridges  farther  west;  but  nowhere 
else  on  the  trip  between  Baltimore  and  Wheeling 
is  there  an  ascent  of  760  feet  in  a  mile  and  a 
half,  as  on  the  eastern  slope  of  Sideling  Hill, 
or  a  descent  of  495  feet  in  a  single  mile,  as  on 
its  western  slope.  The  latter,  which  starts  along 
a  ledge  just  beyond  the  summit,  should  be 
coasted  (if  at  all),  with  the  brake  on  lightly, 
not  only  on  account  of  the  grade,  but  especially 
to  prepare  for  the  very  sharp  left  curve — almost 
a  "horseshoe" — at  the  foot.  While  a  machine 
beyond  control  would  probably  be  wrecked  on 
that  curve,  it  presents  no  danger  to  the  experi- 
enced driver  who  knows  about  it  in  advance. 
Naturally,  however,  the  first-time  traveler  will 
experience  a  sense  of  relief  at  being  on  the  easier 
grades  between  Sideling  Hill  and  the  next  range. 


30 


Thomas  Cresap,  the  western  Maryland  pioneer 
and  afterward  a  member  of  the  Ohio  Company, 
is  said  to  have  paid  an  Indian  £25  for  widen- 
ing the  original  path  over  this  hill,  so  that  white 
men  and  wagons  could  negotiate  it.  That  was 
a  considerable  amount  in  those  days,  and  may 
give  some  idea  of  the  work  involved  in  the 
original  clearing.  In  Fry  &  Jefferson's  map 
(1755)  will  be  found  the  name  "Side  Long 
Hill,"  from  which  the  present  Sideling  Hill  un- 
doubtedly came. 

Even  after  this  long  descent,  the  downgrade' 
continues  about  a  mile  to  Bear  Creek,  which  is 
crossed  by  a  stone  bridge,  followed  by  a  sharp 
left  curve  to  the  iron  bridge  across  Sideling  Hill 
Creek,  just  beyond.  From  occasional  points  of 
vantage  on  the  west  side  of  the  creek,  in  favor- 
able weather  the  tourist  may  look  back  across 
the  intervening  valley,  and  see  the  summit  of 
Sideling  Hill,  even  tracing  thereon  some  of  the 
windings  of  the  road  passed  over  only  a  few 
minutes  ago.  Such  view  is  likely  to  impress  one 
with  the  courage,  as  well  as  the  high  engineering 
skill  required  to  project  and  construct  a  through- 
fare  like  this  across  so  great  a  natural  barrier 
between  the  Atlantic  seaboard  and  the  Ohio 
River. 

Through  Rough,  Sparsely  Settled 

Country  "^ 

Except  for  an  occasional  very  small  settle- 
ment and  an  infrequent  lonely  schoolhouse,  this 
is  practically  an   uninhabited  section — wild  and 


beautiful  beyond  anticipation,  and  with  a  most 
clear,  bracing  atmosphere.  The  Western  Mary- 
land and  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroads  are  now 
far  to  the  south ;  and  the  only  connection  of  the 
few  inhabitants  with  the  outside  world  is  by 
means  of  this  old  road,  which  under  the  circum- 
stances is  kept  up  wonderfully  well.  It  seems 
quite  safe  to  estimate  that  there  may  be  more 
bridges  than  people  from  the  western  edge  of 
Hancock  to  the  eastern  edge  of  Flintstone. 

Even  in  the  midst  of  these  mountains,  when- 
ever the  nature  of  the  country  admits,  the  road 
straightens  out  for  considerable  distances,  af- 
fording the  experience  of  running  along  compara- 
tive levels  for  a  half  mile  or  mile,  yielded  only 
when  it  is  necessary  to  make  an  ascent  or  descent. 
Between  Sideling  Hill  Creek  and  the  next  ridge 
— Town  Hill — there  is  a  great  deal  of  primitive 
woodland,  and  much  scrub  growth;  for  part  of 
the  way,  also,  the  road  is  through  red  clay  and 
shale.  On  the  left,  near  a  small  bridge  and  just 
before  a  left-handed  road,  in  the  midst  of  this  wild 
section,  is  a  rough  unpainted  wood  building, 
with  a  home-made  sign,  "Meals  and  Lodging"; 
ordinarily  it  is  not  very  attractive  to  the  motor 
tourist,  but  might  be  useful  in  case  of  a  break- 
down in  that  locality.  There  is  also  a  lodging 
house  and  country  store  at  Piney  Grove,  a  mile 
or  so  beyond. 

Now  the  road  begins  the  long,  j\'inding  ascent 
of  Town  Hill  which,  though  it  reaches  a  height 
a  trifle  greater  than  Sideling  Hill,  is  much  more 
easily  crossed ;   from   the  summit  there   are  the 


Photograph,  Underwood  &  Underwood,  N.  Y. 

TYPICAL  VIEW  OF  THE  CHESAPEAKE  &  OHIO  CANAL  AND  THE  POTOMAC  RIVER 

Showing  the  rharacter  of  the  country  traversed,  and  especially  the  high  liills  on  both  sides 
of  what  IS  really  a  long  gorge  between  a  series  of  mountain  ranges 

31 


usual  fine  views,  then  a  long  winding  descent, 
with  a  sharp  right  curve  part-way  down.  The 
valley  between  Town  Hill  and  the  next  range — 
Green  Ridge — is  quite  narrow;  at  the  foot  the 
road  crosses  Piney  Ridge  Run,  a  small  stream, 
then  starts  almost  at  once  up  the  eastern  slope 
of  Green  Ridge.  This  is  crossed  at  an  elevation 
of  only  about  1,200  feet;  then  one  descends  a 
winding  road,  where  careful  driving  is  necessary 
for  a  sharp  right — and  a  particularly  sharp  left- 
curve.  On  the  western  slope  of  this  range  is 
a  wonderful  apple  orchard  of  about  50,000  trees 
under  scientific  cultivation. 

Green  Ridge  to  Flintstone 
There  shortly  opens  up — across  the  valley  of 
Fifteen-Mile  Creek — one  of  the  most  entrancing 
views  on  the  entire  route.  In  front,  above  and 
below,  is  a  great  ravine,  extending  as  far  as 
the  eye  can  see;  straight  across  to  the  west  are 
the  foothills  of  Ragged  Mountain  and  Polish 
Mountain.     Care  should  be  taken   for  a  sharp 


crossing  this  summit  (1,372  feet  elevation),  the 
descent  is  shorter  and  more  abrupt,  with  a  num- 
ber of  turns  which  should  be  taken  with  care; 
the  surface,  however,  was  almost  perfect  in  the 
fall  of  1914,  and  the  views  easily  comparable 
with  the  best  of  those  already  had.  The  leisurely 
tourist  leaving  Baltimore  in  the  morning,  lunching 
at  Hagerstown  and  probably  intending  to  run 
into  Cumberland  for  the  night,  is  likely  to  be 
traveling  over  this  portion  of  the  old  road  in 
the  late  afternoon;  if  the  sun  is  setting  bright 
and  strong,  the  view  of  its  rays  coming  over  the 
amphitheater  of  mountains  in  the  western  horizon 
is  beautiful  beyond  description. 

Caution  is  particularly  necessary  in  making  a 
very  sharp  right  turn  over  a  stone  culvert  span- 
ning a  small  stream  about  two-thirds  of  the  way 
down  the  western  slope  of  Polish  Mountain ;  then 
the  road  is  straight  ahead,  across  Town  Creek 
and  past  the  little  hamlet  of  Gilpin  toward  the 
ancient  but  very  interesting  village  of  Flintstone, 
which  is  what  might  be  called  the  eastern  out- 


Fhoto   by   ijiibert,  troslburg 
CHARACTERISTIC  VIEW  AMONG  THE  MOUNTAIN  RIDGES   BETWEEN   CLEAR 
SPRING   AND    CUMBERLAND 

Taken  from  the  top  of  Polish  Mountain,  looking  west  across  the  valley  of  Town  Creek  to 

Iron  Ore  Ridge.     The  roads  are  mostly  good,  and  the  considerable  grades  are 

made  more  easily  than  lesser  ones  in  some  other  sections 


right  and  then  a  sharp  left  curve  made  by  the  old 
road  in  its  rather  abrupt  descent  through  very 
wild  country  to  Fifteen-Mile  Creek;  this  is 
crossed. -on  an  iron  bridge,  the  road  just  beyond 
passing  over  some  shorter  hills  onto  a  surprisingly 
long,  level  stretch,  past  a  saw-mill  on  the  left. 
The  saw-mill  is  at  least  a  sign  of  human  activity 
so  little  evident  on  this  part  of  the  route. 

At  about  the  end  of  this  level  stretch  one 
passes,  on  the  right,  what  remains  of  an  old 
travern  (given  as  "Pratt"  on  the  U.  S.  Geological 
map,  but  no  town),  and  begins  the  ascent  of 
Polish  Mountain,  the  eastern  face  of  which  is 
quite  even  and  the  grade  moderate.     But  after 


post  of  Cumberland.  A  glance  ahead  before 
reaching  the  town  will  show  a  deep  but  very  nar- 
row gap  between  Warrior's  Mountain  on  the  left, 
and  Iron  Ore  Ridge  on  the  right,  with  Flintstone 
Creek  flowing  peacefully  and  quietly  through. 
This  is  known  as  Warriors'  Gap  from  the  fact 
that  the  Indian  path,  of  which  there  are  still 
traces  on  the  tops  of  both  ridges,  here  descended 
to  the  level  of  the  present  road. 

In  his  celebrated  "Journals,"  already  quoted, 

Christopher  Gist  mentions  Warriors'   Gap  and 

Flintstone  as  being  "on  the  way  from  the  Poto- 

"mac  into  Pennsylvania,"  which  proves  them  to 

be  very  old  names,  antedating  the  settlement  of 


32 


this  region  by  the  white  men.  Both  are  shown 
on  the  map  of  Western  Pennsylvania  and  Vir- 
gina  published  in  1755,  no  doubt  largely  on  the 
basis  of  Gist's  notes.  "Flintstone"  was  undoubt- 
edly named  from  the  flint-stones  of  the  Indians, 
though  confirmation  of  that  point  might  be  dif- 
ficult to  obtain  at  this  late  date. 

So  far  on  this  trip  from  Baltimore  and  Hagers- 
town,  the  old  taverns  and  road  houses  are  not 
as  frequent  and  conspicuous  as  they  will  be  found 
from  Cumberland  through  Uniontown  to  Wheel- 
ing; probably  a  larger  percentage  of  them  have 
been  torn  down  or  altered.  But  on  the  right- 
hand  side  of  the  road,  just  before  the  bridge  at 
Flintstone,  stands  the  Flintstone  Hotel,  known 
as  the  Piper  House  in  stage-coach  days,  still 
catering  in  a  very  modest  way  to  road  travel. 
It  was  constructed  by  the  contractor  who  built 
that  section  of  the  road. 

Overnight  Amid  Primitive  Surroundings 

Making  this  run  in  the  late  fall  of  1914,  the 
writer  found  that  it  would  be  difficult  to  reach 
Cumberland  on  account  of  the  growing  dark- 
ness; and,  in  the  mood  of  taking  a  chance,  stopped 
in  front  of  the  Flintstone  Hotel  to  ask  if  over- 
night accommodations  could  be  had  for  three. 
The  proprietor.  Dr.  A.  T.  Twigg,  replied :  "Yes, 
so  far  as  we  have  them."  Deciding  to  stop,  the 
car  was  put  up,  probably  in  the  identical  shed 
that  sheltered  many  a  stage-coach  and  freight 
wagon,  and  we  were  taken  into  what  was  the 
bar-room  of  the  hotel  in  the  palmy  days,  now 
the  doctor's  office,  where  a  warm  fire  quickly 
dispelled  the  chill  from  the  last  twenty  miles  or 
so  over  the  mountain  roads.  A  few  minutes  later 
we  were  sitting  down  to  such  a  good  old-fashioned 
supper  as  tradition  says  this  tavern  served  a 
century  ago;  there  was  no  "grace"  said   at  this 


j^Of 

7^ 

^H  ^^I^^^^B 

3^'  agjj^^'  ajjgit 

LJ! 

■PV 

iPHP 

:i^ 

A  CLOSE  VIEW  OF  THE  FLINTSTONE  HOTEL, 
108  YEARS  OLD 
The  "Piper  House"  of  stage-coach  days,  showing  substantial 
construction  and  homelike  appearance 

first  meal — an  incident  unthought  of  then,  but 
subsequently  recalled. 

It  being  Sunday,  upon  invitation  and  falling  in 
thoroughly  with  the  custom  of  the  place,  we  all 
attended  services  at  the  church  on  the  side  of  the 
road  which  branches  left  near  the  bridge  over 
the  creek,  guided  safely  there  and  back  by  a 
lantern  in  the  hand  of  Dr.  Twigg — for  neither 
electricity  nor  gas  can  be  found  at  Flintstone. 
Probably  few  of  our  friends  would  have  recog- 
nized us  in  that  procession.  It  was  like  taking 
a  leaf  out  of  the  past  to  listen  to  a  genuine  old- 
fashioned  sermon,  and  to  such  hymns  as  were  sung 
in  rural  New  York  State  and  New  England 
forty,  fifty  or  more  years  ago.  At  least  one  of 
us  instinctively  found  himself  recalling  the  almost- 
forgotten  words,  and  making  a  feeble  attempt  to 
join   in   with   the   tune. 

Returning  to  the  tavern,  we  were  shown  into 
the  living-room  of  the  family,  and  while  making 
away  with  some  fine  apples,  listened  to  bits  of  in- 
teresting history,  impossible  to  mention  here. 
Growing  semi-confidential,"  Dr.  Twigg  let  us 
know  that  he  was  the  only  physcian  in  that 
vicinity,  had  been  there  27  years,  and  up  to  that 


^^^^^^H 

■I 

^^HjH^^^^^H 

''  ''-^^RPMUPp 

r 

f 

BIRD'S-EYE  VIEW  OF  THE  ANCIENT  VILLAGE  OF  FLINTSTONE,  MD.,   IN 

WARRIOR'S    GAP 

Showing  character  of  country,  and  row  of  buildings,  including  the  Flintstone  Hotel,  oi 

"Piper  House."     The  actual  "Gap,"  between  Warrior's  Mountain  and  Iron  Ore 

Ridge,  is  a  short  distance  to  the  right  of  the   picture 

33 


time  had  assisted  into  the  world  1,762  little  citi- 
zens of  Flintstone  and  its  neighborhood — several 
times  as  many  as  reside  there  at  the  present  time, 
for  the  great  temptation,  especially  to  young 
people,  is  to  leave  their  homes  in  this  beautiful 
mountain  region,  to  be  lost  in  the  industrial  mael- 
strom outside.  Probably  by  the  time  this  article 
appears  in  print,  the  number  "1,762,"  mentioned 
by  the  good  doctor,  who  seems  to  be  absolutely 
sure  of  the  exact  count,  has  been  materially  in- 
creased. 

Being  shown  to  our  rooms  by  the  proprietor, 
who  had  almost  to  be  restrained  by  force  from 
carrying  all  of  our  heavy  baggage  upstairs,  after 
the  custom  of  the  old-time  tavern  keeper,  we 
found  the  rooms  surprisingly  large  and  spacious — 
at  least  three  times  the  size  of  those  in  the  aver- 
age modern  hotel.  Steam  heat  and  running  water 
were  conspicuously  absent;  but  after  throwing 
open  the  windows  to  admit  an  unlimited  amount 
of  the  clear,  cool  mountain  air,  we  dropped  into 
a  sound  and  wonderfully  refreshing  sleep,  broken 
only  by  the  call  to  prepare  for  breakfast.  At 
that  meal,  we  discovered  that  the  minister 
boarded  at  the  hotel;  he  was  now  with  us,  and 
of  course,  we  all  bowed  our  heads  for  "grace 
before  meat."  The  minister  was  one  of  those 
extremely  serious  young  men  we  sometimes  meet ; 
and  a  member  of  the  party  "started  something" 
by  praising  the  sermon  of  the  evening  before. 

Gradually,  the  conversation  broadened  to  touch 
upon  the  subject  of  law  and  order  in  the  moun- 
tain villages;  and  it  came  out  that  Flintstone 
was  a  local  option  village,  with  nothing  in  the 
way  of  strong  drink  to  be  had  nearer  than  Cum- 
berland. "Then,"  it  was  ventured,  "everything 
must  be  quiet  and  orderly."  "It  would  be," 
replied  the  minister,  "except  that  we  have  no 
Justice-of-the-Peace  nearer  than  Cumberland, 
though  if  it  were  easier  to  get  out  a  warrant,  we 
could  stop  some  of  what  goes  on."  "What  might 
that  be?"  was  inquired.  "Well,"  replied  the 
minister,  with  added  seriousness,  "some  of  our 
people  here  once  in  a  while  forget  themselves, 
and  go  swearing  up  and  down  the  pike."  We 
thought  if  that  was  all  the  wrong-doing  at  Flint- 
stone, it  must  be  quite  a  model  mountain  village ; 
and'  at  the  same  time  wondered  if  some  such 
circumstance  as  this  might  not  have  originated 
the  phrase  "up"  or  "down  the  pike." 

One  who  desires  to  catch  something  of  the 
spirit  of  the  ancient  highway  would  do  well  to 
stop  at  Flintstone,  and  at  some  of  the  taverns 
on  the  next  section  of  the  route,  taking  note  of 
the  unpretentious  but  very  comfortable  arrange- 
ments for  old-time  travelers;  and  if  possible  talk 


with  older  residents,  many  of  whom  personally 
remember  the  era  of  the  stage-coach.  In  the 
palmy  days  of  the  old  road,  many  famous  peo- 
ple stopped  at  the  Piper  House,  among  them 
Henry  Clay,  one  of  the  ablest  champions  of  the 
project  to  build  the  Cumberland-Wheeling  sec- 
tion across  the  mountains.  In  fact,  the  tourist 
who  wishes  to  sleep  in  Henry  Clay's  room  may 
do  so,  though  the  statesman's  initials  once  carved 
over  the  door  have  disappeared. 

Last  Stretch  into  Cumberland 
At  Flintstone  the  old  pike  is  about  12  air-line 
miles  from  the  Potomac  River  and  the  two  rail- 
roaas  that  closely  parallel  it  in  the  vicinity  of 
Old  Town,  the  spot  where  Thomas  Cresap,  the 
earliest  permanent  settler  in  Western  Maryland, 
built  a  home  in  1742  or  '43.  The  little  village 
here  in  the  mountains  owes  its  very  existence  to 
the  highway,  even  mail  from  points  east  being 
carried  into  Cumberland  and  brought  out  by 
motor  stage.  But  from  now  on  the  pike,  the  river 
and  the  railroads  gradually  draw  together,  until 
they  meet  in  the  city  of  Cumberland.  Leave 
Flintstone  nearly  due  west  from  the  stone  bridge 
at  the  village  center,  over  a  fine  level  stretch 
of  somewhat  more  than  two  miles  to  a  large 
stone  house  on  the  right,  marking  the  intersec- 
tion of  the  old  Hancock  Road  (or  trail)  before 
the  present  highway  was  built. 

Immediately  beyond  the  stone  house  begins  the 
winding  ascent  of  Martin  Mountain,  the  road 
rising  535  feet  in  a  trifle  over  a  mile;  there 
are  several  curves,  though  none  as  sharp  as  those 
on  Sideling  Hill,  and  the  surface  is  excellent 
throughout.  Over  to  the  left  on  the  way  up^ 
one  catches  specially  fine  views  of  minor  ridges 
and  valleys,  with  suggestions  of  very  small  vil- 
lages in  the  distance.  Just  beyond  the  summit 
(1,720  feet  elevation),  there  is  a  comparatively- 
level  stretch,  followed  by  an  easy  descent  of  the 
western  face  by  long  stretches  of  state  highway^ 
If,  as  is  quite  likely,  the  motorist  descending  any 
of  these  ranges  happens  to  meet  a  strong  four- 
horse  team  hauling  up  a  load  of  lumber,  coal  or 
other  heavy  materials,  he  will  better  appreciate 
the  grades  than  being  carried  over  them  in  a 
motor  car. 

At  about  the  foot  of  Martin  Mountain  our 
road  touches  the  lower  edge  of  Pleasant  Valley, 
passing  on  the  right  "Clover  Hill  Farm,"  a  well- 
kept  place  with  a  fine  house  and  large  barn. 
There  are  no  more  steep  grades  on  this  section 
of  the  trip,  as  the  pike  shortly  comes  along  a 
small  stream  which  is  followed,  with  several 
crossings,  to  the  small  iron  bridge  over  Evitt's 
Creek,   at  what  was  Folck's  Mill,  now  Wolfe 


34 


Mill,  as  shown  on  the  detail  may  page  29. 
During  the  Civil  War  a  skirmish  took  place  at 
this  point,  and  one  Confederate  was  killed.  The 
old  brick  and  stone  mill  just  north  of  this  bridge 
still  shows  the  holes  made  by  Union  cannon  balls 
fired  from  one  of  the  hilltops  nearer  Cumberland ; 
and  the  large  brick  dwelling,  still  to  be  seen  a 
short  distance  farther  on,  at  the  junction  of  the 
Baltimore  Pike  and  the  cross-over  to  the  Bedford 
Road,  was  also  struck  and  considerably  damaged. 

Just  beyond,  there  is  a  "parting  of  the  ways" 
for  the  balance  of  the  trip  into  Cumberland,  both 
shown  graphically  by  the  detail  map,  page  29. 
In  the  fall  of  1914,  the  better  route  was  by  the 
first  right-turn  beyond  the  small  iron  bridge, 
directly  across  by  an  excellent  road,  cut  in  part 
through  a  hillside,  to  its  end  at  the  Bedford  Road. 
By  taking  this  route  and  making  a  left-turn  in 
front  of  a  stone  farmhouse,  the  tourist  can  fol- 
low Bedford  Street,  mostly  brick  pavement, 
straight  ahead  across  the  B.  &  O.  R.  R.  (grade, 
dangerous)  to  the  business  center  of  Cumberland, 
at  Center  Street,  near  the  city  hall  and  post 
office. 

The  old  pike  makes  no  turn  beyond  Evitt's 
Creek,  but  is  direct  past  the  turn-ofiE  for  the 
Bedford  Road ;  though  not  in  as  good  condition 
throughout,  it  is  at  least  a  mile  shorter  and,  of 
course,  was  the  route  followed  by  the  stage-coach 
and   freight  wagon   of   long  ago.      In   the   not- 


distant  future,  it  will  probably  be  m3de  at  least 
as  good  as  the  Bedford  Street  entrance.  Fol- 
lowing the  old  road,  one  curves  around  the  edge 
of  a  minor  mountain  at  the  outer  edge  of  the 
city,  passing  a  cemetery  on  the  right,  to  begin 
at  once  a  rather  long  steady  descent,  from  which 
a  good  view  is  had  of  industrial  Cumberland. 
From  the  same  point  of  vantage,  the  tourist  also 
realizes  why  this  busy  little  city  in  Western 
Maryland  is  literally  the  "Key  of  the  Moun- 
tains"; sometimes  it  might  almost  seem  impos- 
sible to  go  in  or  come  out  of  it  by  any  means 
except  through  the  air. 

But  gradually  one  catches  a  glimpse  of  the 
wide-sweeping  Potomac,  pursuing  its  peaceful 
course  between  the  frowning  hills  of  Maryland 
and  West  Virginia;  and  after  a  brief  but  closer 
study  of  the  topography,  Cumberland  is  seen  to 
be  literally  a  hub  of  transportation  by  road  and 
rail,  as  well  as  the  western  terminus  of  the  Chesa- 
peake &  Ohio  Canal,  still  a  factor  in  the  world's 
business  life.  It  is  also  the  usual  night  stop  for 
a  one-day  trip  west  from  Baltimore  or  east  from 
Wheeling,  being  approximately  half  way  from 
each.  Hotel  and  garage  accommodations  are 
fair  but  not  elaborate;  the  people  are  generally 
very  courteous  and  accommodating  to  strangers. 
That  city  and  its  unique  historic  interests,  and 
especially  the  choice  of  roads  for  the  next  few 
miles  west,  will  be  referred  to  at  greater  length 
in  the  next  chapter. 


35 


LLOSE  VIEW  OF  THE  HISTORIC  STONE  BRIDGE  OVER  WILLS  CREEK,  IN  THE  "NARROWS," 
A  SHORT  DISTANCE  WEST  OF  CUMBERLAND,  MD. 

This  bridge  was  built  across  the  narrow  valley  or  "gap"  which  cuts  Wills  Mountain  into  two  sections,  greatly 

facilitating  the  passage  of  the  Alleghanies.     For  another  view,  showing  the  approaches  on  either  end, 

and  more  of  the  surrounding  topography,  see  page  41 


ter  4:     CUMBERLAND  AND  THE  HISTORIC   KOADS  TOWARD 

FROSTBURG 


Cumberland  the  tourist  is  about 
at  the  beginning  of  the  second  half 
of  the  Baltimore-Wheeling  trip; 
and  in  leaving  that  city  for  the 
West,  enters  upon  that  part  of  the 
Old  Pike  constructed  entirely  at  the  expense  of 
the  national  government.  But  no  one  can  afford 
to  pass  through  this  "Key  City  of  the  Mountains" 
without  spending  at  least  a  few  minutes  looking 
around  it  and  learning  something  of  its  extra- 
ordinary history.  Here,  at  the  head  of  naviga- 
tion on  the  Potomac,  the  travel  of  the  olden  days 
that  had  come  so  far  by  water  had  to  transfer 
to  the  J^nd,  making  its  site  the  most  strategic 
of  all  between  the  East  and  the  West.  It  is 
situated  at  the  foot  of  the  eastern  slope  of  the 
Alleghanies,  the  front  door  to  the  famous  "Nar- 
rows" and  the  easiest  passage  of  these  mountains 
between  New  York  State  and  Alabama. 

Nowhere  else  in  the  entire  country  can  the 
influence  of  topography  upon  the  course  of  his- 
tory be  so  clearly  traced ;  and  the  interest  of 
the  trip  is  much  increased  by  some  knowledge 


of  the  part  this  locality  has  played,  especially 
in  the  exploration  and  settlement  of  the  West. 
By  crossing  the  several  ridges  between  Hancock 
and  Cumberland,  the  tourist  leaves  behind  the 
scenes  and  memories  of  the  war  between  the 
States,  and  enters  one  of  the  most  important  sec- 
tions traveled  and  fought  over  during  the  French 
and  Indian  War,  the  last  between  the  English 
and  French  for  supremacy  on  this  continent  and, 
at  least  in  some  measure,  the  forerunner  of  the 
Revolution. 

We  also  come  into  the  section— half  eastern, 
half  western — traveled  and  studied  most  carefully 
by  George  Washington  throughout  the  greater 
part  of  his  life,  finding  not  only  evidences  of  his 
great  faith  in  the  future  of  the  West,  but  various 
examples  of  distinct  efforts  on  his  part  to  develop 
travel  and  facilitate  the  means  of  transporta- 
tion across  the  Alleghanies.  In  his  youth,  as  sur- 
veyor of  the  lands  of  Lord  Fairfax  in  the  upper 
Shenandoah,  he  became  personally  acquainted 
with  the  region  beyond  the  Potomac;  this  served 
Tiim    well   in   the   subsequent   overland    trips   to 


36 


Fort  Duquesne,  while  these  experiences  made  him 
not  only  the  efficient  aide  of  Braddock,  but  the 
logical  successor  to  the  responsibilities  of  com- 
mand when  the  first  campaign  against  the  French 
at  the  "Forks  of  the  Ohio"  ended  in  a  rout  of 
the  English  and  Colonial  forces. 

Washington  not  only  traveled  the  route  from 
Fort  Cumberland  to  the  Youghiogheny  and 
Monongahela  Rivers,  along  the  general  line  of 
the  present  National  Turnpike,  but  always  en- 
couraged, for  both  commercial  and  political  rea- 
sons, every  project  for  connecting  the  eastern 
rivers  with  those  of  the  interior  by  "portages," 
predecessors  of  the  highways  of  a  later  date.  It 
is  a  part  of  the  charm  of  this  trip  to  feel  one's 
self  literally  following  in  the  footsteps  of  the 
"Father  of  his  Country,"  though  his  path  was 
often  beset  with  difficulties  and  dangers;  farther 
along  we  shall  come  to  the  spot  where  he  made 
his  first  and  only  surrender,  as  a  result  of  the 
failure  of  the  Virginia  expedition  of  1754,  the 
year  before  the  defeat  of  Braddock.  It  is  even 
a  tradition  that  in  the  darkest  days  of  the  Revolu- 
tion, more  than  twenty  years  afterward,  his 
thoughts  were  often  turned  toward  the  West,  as 
a  possible  future  home  for  himself  and  some  of 
his  followers  in  case  the  Colonies  should  fail  in 
their  struggle  for  independence. 

Further  investigation  will  reveal  the  fact  that 
Washington  suggested  the  survey  of  these  "west- 
ern" lands  by  the  Federal  Government,  which 
though  long  under  way,  is  not  even  yet  complete ; 
and  had  figured  with  surprising  accuracy  the  sav- 
ing of  distance  by  this  route  from  tidewater  to 
the  Monongahela  and  Ohio,  Fort  Duquesne, 
Presque  Isle  (Erie,  Pa.),  Fort  Detroit  and  even 
to  the  then  little  known  rivers  of  the  Central 
West.  His  interest  in  the  Potomac  Co.,  genesis 
of  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Canal,  is  mentioned 
elsewhere  in  this  series ;  in  fact,  he  seems  to  have 
anticipated  in  some  degree  all  that  has  since  been 
realized  in  travel  and  transportation  across  this 
section,  excepting  only  the  modern  developments 
in  steam  and  electricity. 

Unique  Topographical  Setting 
The  outline  map  on  pages  38  and  39  will  assist 
the  tourist  making  the  usual  quick  trip  over  this 
route  not  only  to  understand  the  main  points 
about  present-day  Cumberland,  but  also  to  ap- 
preciate the  strategic  advantage  of  its  predecessor, 
the  old  fort  after  which  the  city  was  named. 
In  connection  with  this  local  diagram,  reference 
should  be  made  to  the  topographic  maps  pages 
29  and  48,  showing  graphically  the  succession  of 
ridges  which  literally  shut  in  Cumberland  from 


both  the  East  and  West.  The  fairly  level  spot 
on  which  the  city  is  situated  was  made  possible 
by  a  sharp  bend  of  the  Potomac,  which  from 
this  point  takes  a  southwesterly  course,  and  is 
not  seen  again  on  this  route. 

On  the  West  Virginia  side,  less  than  two  miles 
away,  Knobly  Mountain  reaches  an  elevation  of 
1,115  feet,  with  higher  peaks  in  the  background; 
and  to  the  north  and  west,  the  upper  and  lower 
sections  of  Wills  Mountain,  almost  equally  near, 
rise  to  heights  of  from  1,600  to  1,800.  After  the 
long  descents  into  the  city  from  the  summit  of 
Martin  Mountain  (1,720  feet),  only  a  few  miles 
east,  one  may  be  surprised  to  learn  that  Cumber- 
land is  itself  at  an  elevation  of  about  640.  The 
Potomac  makes  that  descent  on  its  way  to  the 
sea  not  only  by  the  natural  slope  but  through  a 
series  of  falls,  which  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio 
Canal  overcomes  by  an  elaborate  system  of  locks 
and  dams.  This  strategic  location  made  Cumber- 
land in  the  early  days  the  most  important  point 
between    the    Atlantic    seaboard    and    the    Ohio 


Photograph  Copyright  by  J.  K.  Lacock 

LOOKING    WEST    ALONG    GREEN    STREET,    ON    THE 
WEST   SIDE  OF  WILLS   CREEK,   OR  OLDER  SEC- 
TION   OF    CUMBERLAND,    MD. 

This  was   the  start  of  the   original   line   of  travel   from   near 

the  site  of  old  I'ort  Cumberland  over  Wills  Mountain,  a 

part   of   which   can   be   seen    in    the    distance.      Now, 

bowever,    practically    all    of   the   travel    goes   out 

either    N.    Center    Street    or    N.    Mechanic 

Street   to   and  through   the   Cumberland 

"Narrows" 


37 


River ;  and  as  long  as  the  Potomac  was  used  as 
part  of  the  overland  route  to  Pittsburgh,  it  was 
equally  important  to  and  through  that  city  to 
Lake  Erie,  though  the  building  of  the  Philadel- 
phia-Pittsburgh road  by  Forbes'  army  in  1758 
made  a  shorter  way  than  the  older  one  through 
Cumberland. 

Here  also  the  two  main  stems  of  the  Baltimore 
&  Ohio  system  from  the  West  converge  to  make 
one  greater  line  to  Washington  and  Baltimore. 
Cumberland  is  a  division  point  for  all  through 
business;  both  passenger  and  freight  traiKc  are 
heavy,  and  practically  all  the  locomotives  used  are 
the  largest  of  their  respective  types.    Within  the 


course  to  Connellsville,  Pa.,  and  does  not  again 
touch  our  route. 

It  is  worth  while  before  leaving  Cumberland 
to  stop  a  few  minutes  at  the  foot  of  Baltimore 
Street,  near  the  iron  bridge  over  Wills  Creek, 
and  walk  along  the  Western  Maryland  R.  R. 
tracks  to  a  point  a  trifle  beyond  the  depot.  From 
there  one  may  see  the  first  dam  of  the  Potomac, 
near  the  junction  of  that  river  with  Wills  Creek; 
the  dam  is  quite  unpretentious,  but  it  marks  the 
westerly  point  of  navigation  from  tidewater,  at 
the  very  edge  of  the  main  Alleghany  ridges. 

Nearby,  also,  is  the  first  lock  of  the  Chesapeake 
&  Ohio  Canal,  now  used  as  a  canal  feeder  only, 


Scale  of  Miles 


IS 


,/„.  /  ?'  \  /  ,.,1  ;-''!--''ll^9^t:.S^v;^^^^#^ 

fc4?^)!r^;\Johns  Rock';  <<li%)  %  C"  l:;:;::■^''■''"'c^^^^<^^^SSQ*ip'•^V::^5;HS'iv:^^'  ^  ^>v-) i ,^.^ ,)'"  .i^-',; 


A  U.S.6overnment\  \\ 

triangulation  sfation.\  •■. ..  \ 

/         ^~ % 

m    Site  of  Capt.  Cresapi  f/gM-      ''i'S^  \ '--X''^  '  V-'-AK'^J 
with  Indians.  wi7ere  his  son  and  an 
Indian  Killed  each  other. 
/ 


/ 


''   =  oV=w«^~Atf5?/=i5^i&c^anitoiL;  •■  •'    ;-.\pi'-\-^S^HPirade  ••":      ,■..",%    /■•v  ,.=.  . 
....„  ,„      ;   ;  BraddockslU-//y^ysffeofBraddoclc&K:r^^^^^  ■'■■"•■^ "ij^u^!;"''^ ■•.!";'■?  / 

;'  i  m\K\  '^(^'/■'■^/^^■'•■'^■'^■■.'X  -•■Bofmm-:;,/ ^-'yf}]"';,?  '■:.-■■;  ,;  ,•■■,■;"-■■;■"..•■-.  \. ■-  •,•• 

V\V^•.;^■f<■<^y.i/?^*:;:o••■•i^^<■--:-;i■:::^^  '»"Siteof  UfS.'A.'WUtary  ., .. 

?,  --...-■ 'e,'-' -=/  )^^^'i1^ff^ii  }  i  r~>'^^^*w:'C-"  '^-.rfiosp/tal,  l86Z-65:\r-:.r  . 


DETAIL   BETWEEN   CUMBERLAND    AND    FROSTBURG,    MD.,    PERHAPS   THE   MOST 


limits  of  the  "Key  City  of  the  Mountains,"  the 
tracks  of'this  great  pioneer  railway  diverge,  as 
shown  by  the  map  page  10  in  the  opening  chapter; 
no  more  is  seen  of  the  lower  one  until  we  reach 
Wheeling,  though  we  do  come  into  the  line  of 
the  upper  one  near  Washington,  Pa.,  and  follow 
it  the  last  few  miles  to  the  Ohio  River.  The 
Western  Maryland,  a  newer  railroad,  of  which 
the  most  is  seen  on  this  trip  in  the  vicinity  of 
Hancock,  parallels  the  old  pike  through  the  Nar- 
rows; but   at   Frostburg   it   takes   the   northern 


the  boats — still  in  considerable  numbers — being 
loaded  a  short  distance  below,  principally  with 
coal  from  the  mines  at  and  around  Frostburg. 
Looking  across  from  the  vicinity  of  the  Western 
Maryland  depot,  one  can  see  the  old  part  of  the 
city,  through  which  the  original  line  of  the  pike 
ran  from  near  the  site  of  Fort  Cumberland  by 
the  present  Green  Street  to  and  over  Wills 
Mountain. 

-Before  the  railroads  came,  overland  transporta- 
tion was  a  serious  problem ;  and  water  seemed  to 


38 


be  the  best  available  and  cheapest  means.  The 
Potomac  was  the  first  thoroughfare  of  explora- 
tion, travel  and  transportation  to  the  West;  but 
the  fact  that  it  could  not  be  used  beyond  Cumber- 
land added  greatly  to  the  amount  of  traffic  over 
the  National  Road.  At  the  very  first  it  was  pro- 
posed merely  to  make  the  river  navigable ;  but  on 
account  of  its  many  windings,  which  would  make 
too  long  a  route,  a  complete  canal  was  found 
necessary.  This  then  great  work  was  begun  in 
1828  by  Virginia  and  Maryland,  and  completed 
from  Georgetown,  D.  C,  to  Cumberland,  a  dis- 
tance of  184  miles,  in  1850,  at  a  cost  of  about 
$11,000,000.    Though  once  a  vital  factor  in  the 


the  Ohio,"  and  Braddock  on  the  unsuccessful 
attempt  to  drive  the  French  from  Fort  Duquesne, 
had  already  become  familiar  with  the  site  of 
Cumberland,  opposite  which  (on  the  Virginia 
side),  the  Ohio  Company  had  erected  a  store  as 
early  as  1750,  on  lands  purchased  from  Lord 
Fairfax.  But  the  fort  was  not  erected  until 
1754-55  when,  after  Braddock's  defeat,  which 
greatly  weakened  the  military  prestige  of  the 
Colonies,  a  stronghold  was  seen  to  be  necessary, 
not  only  as  a  resting  place  for  expeditions  to  and 
from  the  Ohio  River,  but  to  guard  against  the 
frequent  bands  of  Indians  crossing  the  hills  and 
passing  through  the  forests  on  sanguinary  errands. 


,  Barrelville/ 


■•--  /'O^ 


'"OiL 


%AflD  : 


, ;  C  ColmgMifiUesZ 


National  Pike 
Equally  good  road 


'r^^^msa 


^ 


■■r;Kreigbaui^ 


'Xl    ;-^:Sava|§3c 


(Western  end  of  Narrows  to  Frost- 
burg)  tfirougti  Corriganville  &  Mount 
Savage. 

Original  route  of  National 

J*.   Pike  (Cumberland  to"6  mile  House)' 
until  relocated  in  1835. 

'WI^^W      Old  Braddock  Road.of 

'^Wy       which  traces  remain, 
'f"  .•■ .  ,-■ 


v^ai>"':V -■-'"■  .■•-■■.••»'i3 ,'...-"    \\ii^f  .y,l\' li---  '■-  '-'•■>''■■,    i     "^i^s'    /:ii<'iS:-i:?SV«ji.''Loi/er'S Lea, 


vers' Leaf, 
Castle  Rot 

iClJMBERLAND 


see  city  map 
'••''In    for  details 


r'-PC>TdJvACU 


roll  oate    ■■^^,:^^^y:r:s^;2r^~—s='=^^fil^'Teora/^aaaocKSj-.    •...--.    = 


INTERESTING  AND  HISTORIC  ROUTE  OF  ITS  LENGTH   IN  THE  UNITED   STATES 


nation's  life,  the  canal  is  principally  interesting 
to  the  tourist  of  today  as  a  picturesque  link  with 
the  past.  It  is  now  "quiet  along  the  Potomac," 
except  for  the  whistles  of  locomotives,  the  echo 
of  automobile  engines,  and  the  subdued  hum  of 
industry  within  the  city  limits  of  Cumberland. 

Brief  Historical  Sketch 
Christopher  Gist,  probably  the  greatest  of  the 
early    explorers    through    this    section,    George 
Washington  on  his  first  trip  to  the  "Forks  of 


That  fort  occupied  a  bluff  on  the  west  side  of  the 
city  at  the  junction  of  the  Potomac  River  and 
Wills  Creek,  where  the  Episcopal  Church,  a 
picturesque  ivy-covered  Gothic  structure  of  brown 
sandstone,  now  stands. 

It  was  the  real  outpost  of  the  Colonies, 
separated  from  eastern  Maryland  by  the  great 
barriers  of  mountains;  and  almost  completely 
isolated,  having  no  means  of  communication  with 
the  outside  world  except  by  primitive  roads  and 
the    unimproved    Potomac    River — which    gives 


39 


some  idea  of  the  difficulty  of  long-distance  travel 
a  hundred  or  more  years  ago.  Being  on  the 
frontier,  never  well  defined  in  those  days,  the 
ground  on  which  it  stood  was  for  a  long  time 
claimed  by  both  Virginia  and  Maryland;  but  in 
the  end  Virginia  gave  up  its  claim  and  the  old 
fort  was  garrisoned  by  Maryland  troops,  though 
the  settlements  in  both  states,  as  well  as  those 
in  nearby  Pennsylvania,  were  protected  by  it. 

While  the  second — and  successful — attempt  to 
take  Fort  Duquesne  from  the  French  (1758), 
was  chiefly  from  Carlisle,  through  Chambers- 
burg,  Bedford  and  Ligonier,  over  much  of  the 
present  Philadelphia-Pittsburgh  Pike,  Fort  Cum- 
berland was  again  the  rendezvous  of  the  Virginia 
and  Maryland  forces,  which  cut  a  road  from 
here  to  Raystown  (now  Bedford)  in  order  to 
join  Forbes'  main  army,  though  against  the  ad- 
vice of  Washington,  who  preferred  to  follow 
the  old  Braddock  Road,  with  the  idea  of  com- 
bining with  Forbes  much  nearer  the  present  site 
of  Pittsburgh.  Soon  after  Fort  Duquesne  was 
abandoned,  the  French  power  was  broken,  and 
the  English  Colonies  opened  wide  the  door  into 
the  West ;  travel  and  emigration  increased  rapidly, 
and  Cumberland  became,  more  in  peace  than  in 
war,  an  important  point  in  transportation  and 
trade. 

The  settlement  was  originally  on  the  west  side 
of  Wills  Creek,  the  principal  houses  being  along 
the  present  Green  Street,  which  helps  to  ac- 
count for  the  first  line  of  the  old  pike  being 
laid  out  that  way  instead  of  through  the  "Nar- 
rows." In  1787,  when  there  were  only  35 
families  in  the  place,  the  settlers  around  what 
had  been  Fort  Cumberland  petitioned  the  legis- 
lature to  establish  a  town  to  be  named  after  the 
fort,  which  was  done.  The  first  post  office  was 
established  in  an  old  log  cabin  on  North  Mechanic 
Street  in  1795;  three  years  later  Allegany  County 
was  created  and  Cumberland  made  the  county 
seat.  It  was  incorporated  in  1815;  and  grew 
slowly  but  surely  in  population  and  influence. 

The  City  and  the  Road 

The  legislation  creating  the  National  Pike  was 
very  specific  in  its  mention  of  Cumberland ;  and 
this  great  thoroughfare  to  the  West  came  to  be 
equally  well  known  as  the  "Cumberland  Road" ; 
this  is  perhaps  the  only  city  in  the  United  States 
today  having  an  important  through  highway 
named  for  it.  On  the  other  hand,  the  city  and 
section  were  proud  of  the  road,  western  Mary- 
land usually  sending  to  Congress  men  pledged 
in  favor  of  maintaining  it,  even  after  the  build- 
ing of  the  railroad  lessened  its  relative  importance. 


In  the  busy  days  of  the  pike,  Cumberland  was 
naturally  the  residence  of  many  stage  coach  and 
freight  wagon  drivers,  among  them  Samuel 
Luman,  Ashael  Willison,  Hanson  Willison  and 
Robert  Hall,  substantial  men  in  the  community 
and  honored  by  those  who  knew  them.  While  the 
old  drivers  and  innkeepers  have  about  all  passed 
away,  quite  a  number  of  people  in  and  about 
Cumberland  remember  them  very  well.  Ashael 
Willison  died  only  about  three  years  ago,  though 
the  majority  of  those  who  drove  on  the  old  road, 
or  kept  taverns  along  it,  have  been  gone  much 
longer. 

How  great  the  travel  over  the  National  Pike 
before  the  building  of  the  B.  &  O.  R.  R.  may  be 
estimated  froni  the  fact  that  during  the  first 
twenty  days  of  March,  1848,  2,586  passengers 
were  carried  through  Cumberland  in  stage 
coaches.  One  old-time  resident  claims  to  have 
counted  fifty-two  six-horse  wagons  in  sight 
on  the  road  at  one  time,  and  to  have 
seen  at  least  4,000  head  of  western  cattle  quar- 
tered at  a  single  place.  Then  came  the  decline, 
which  carried  it  to  so  low  a  valuation  that  both 
Maryland  and  Pennsylvania  took  their  part  of 
it  as  a  gift,  only  after  large  additional  sums  had 
been  spent  by  the  government  in  its  improvement. 

Today  Cumberland  is  the  second  city  in  Mary- 
land, and  the  largest  one  on  our  route  in  the 
Alleghany  Mountains,  with  a  population  of  about 
23,000.  It  is  an  important  industrial  and  com- 
mercial center,  within  twelve  or  fifteen  miles  of 
vast  coal  measures,  with  inexhaustible  supplies 
of  rock  and  fire  clay  of  excellent  quality  at  its 
doors.  Brick  and  steel,  for  which  the  raw  mate- 
rials are  at  hand  or  easily  brought  by  rail,  are 
produced  in  large  quantities.  Scientific  road 
building,  both  by  the  state  and  Allegany  County, 
have  resulted  in  fine  roads  within  twelve  or  fif- 
teen miles  of  Cumberland,  toward  Bedford  and 
east  and  west  on  the  pike,  as  well  as  good  shale 
and  dirt  roads  on  the  West  Virginia  side  of  the 
Potomac,  great  improvements  having  been  made 
within  the  past  five  years.  The  city  looks  pros- 
perous and  has  a  number  of  substantial  buildings, 
especially  banks. 

The  original  ford  from  South  Mechanic  Street 
(a  short  distance  below  Baltimore  Street)  to  the 
west  side  of  Wills  Creek  passed  over  a  spot  sub- 
sequently "filled  in"  to  make  what  is  now  River- 
side Park.  While  of  comparatively  recent  origin, 
and  of  no  practical  use  to  the  tourist  today,  a 
glance  at  the  photograph  on  page  37,  and  the 
easterly  part  of  the  local  map  page  39,  may 
-•be  of  interest  as  helping  to  identify  the  original 
route  of  the  National  Road  as  specified  by  the 


40 


United  States  Commissioners  in  their  Report  of 
December  30,  1806,  on  the  basis  of  which  Con- 
gress authorized  the  beginning  of  the  work.  This 
was  "from  a  stone  at  the  corner  of  Lot  No.  1, 
near  the  confluence  of  Wills  Creek  and  the  north 
branch  of  the  Potomac  River" ;  or,  about  as 
closely  as  the  spot  can  be  identified  by  modern 
landmarks,  at  the  northwestern  corner  of  the 
park,  about  opposite  the  curve  of  the  trolley 
tracks. 

Actual  construction  began  at  this  point  in 
May,  1811,  proceeding  westward  along  the 
alignment  of  the  present  Green  Street  to  the 
eastern  slope  of  Wills  Mountain,  the  first  ten 
miles — over  the  mountain  and  into  the  present 
line  of  the  road  past  the  Six-Mile  House  (see 
detail  map,  page  39) — being  completed  in  Sep- 
tember, 1812.  It  was  not  until  1833,  after  the 
shorter  but  steeper  way  had  been  used  for  over 
twenty  years,  that  the  start  of  the  National 
Pike  out  of  Cumberland  was  re-located  to  use 
North  Mechanic  Street  and  the  longer  but  much 
easier  route  through  the  "Narrows."  Only  the 
latter  is  known  by  most  present-day  travelers, 
though  the  former  is  a  vital  part  of  the  old  road's 
history. 

Into  and  Through  the  Narrows 
The  usual  route  west  of  Cumberland  is  from 
Baltimore    Street,    the    basic    thoroughfare,    out 


either  North  Mechanic  Street  (the  actual  Pike) 
or  North  Center  Street,  next  parallel  on  the 
right;  both  are  used  extensively  aijd  shown  in 
equal  detail  on  the  local  map,  page  39.  Near 
the  western  edge  of  the  city.  North  Center  makes 
a  short  deflection  into  North  Mechanic,  the  lat- 
ter crossing  at  once  the  Wharf  Branch  of  the 
Cumberland  &  Pennsylvania  R.  R.  tracks,  at 
grade,  into  the  famous  "Narrows,"  perhaps  the 
one  most  interesting  topographical  feature  be- 
tween Baltimore  and  Wheeling.  Here  is  found 
a  practically  level  road  along  the  floor  of  the 
gap  or  gorge,  whose  average  width  from  the  tow- 
ering heights  of  the  two  sections  of  Wills  Moun- 
tain is  about  a  half-mile  at  the  top,  sloping  to 
125  yards  at  the  bottom,  and  900  feet  deep. 

Wills  Creek,  flowing  through  the  center,  is 
crossed  at  the  eastern  end  of  the  narrows  by  the 
picturesque  and  historic  stone  bridge,  of  which 
the  photograph  on  page  36  is  a  close  view  of  the 
general  structure  and  solid  arches,  though  the 
smaller  one  on  this  page  gives  a  better  idea  of 
the  long,  sweeping  approaches,  without  grades, 
and  the  great  hills  on  either  side,  as  well  as 
showing  higher  water  in  the  Creek.  This  gorge, 
which  will  be  quickly  identified  by  anyone  who 
has  traveled  through  it  by  rail  in  daylight,  pro- 
vided the  National  Turnpike  with  a  nearly  level 
entrance   into   the  Alleghanies,    and   opened    the 


Photograph  by  G.  G.  TowHsend,  Frostburg 
STONE  BRIDGE  OVER  WILLS  CREEK,  AT  THE  EASTERN  END  OF  THE  CUMBERLAND 

"NARROWS" 

In  the  perspective,  showing  the   B.   &  O.   R.   R.    (on  the  right)    and  the   Western   Maryland  R.    R. 

(on  the  left),  with  the  two  sections  of  Wills  Mountains  in  the  distance.     The  view  is  west — 

toward   Pittsburgh   or  Wheeling,   the  two  most  important  points  this   road   and   its 

connections  were  destined  to  reach.      Compare  this  with  the  closer  view 

top  of  page   36 

41 


Reproduced  from  Lowdermilk's  "History  of  Cumberland" 
FORT   CUMBERLAND   IN    1755 


easiest  way  to  and  over  the  main  ridges  beyond. 
On  the  right  are  the  tracks  of  the  B.  &  O.,  the 
building  of  which  did  more  than  anything  else 
to  take  travel  off  the  old  road,  and  on  the  left 
the  Western  Maryland],  the  newest  transporta- 
tion line  between  Cumberland  and  Pittsburgh. 

It  is  a  matter  of  passing  interest  that  the 
bridges  on  the  National  Road  in  Maryland,  in- 
cluding the  one  shown  in  these  pictures,  were 
more  than  once  the  subject  of  controversy  be- 
tween that  state  and  the  Federal  government. 
When  assenting  to  the  change  in  location  from 
the  original  line  over  Wills  Mountain  to  the 
present  one  through  the  Narrows,  Maryland 
made  a  condition  that  the  part  of  the  road  em- 
braced in  the  change  should  be  constructed  of  the 
best  materials,  upon  the  macadam  plan ;  that  a 
good,  substantial  bridge  should  be  built  over 
Wills  Creek  at  the  place  of  crossing,  and  that 
stone  bridges  and  culverts  should  be  constructed 
wherever  the  same  might  respectively  be  neces- 
sary along  the  line  of  the  road. 

This  was  a  wise  enactment,  and  as  a  result, 
many  of  these  bridges  are  still  as  strong  and  as 
substantial  as  the  day  they  were  built.  Years 
later,  after  the  road  had  deteriorated,  and  Con- 
gress had  decided  to  let  it  lapse  back  into  the 
control  i5f  the  several  states  traversed,  Maryland 
and  Pennsylvania  accepted  their  parts  only  with 
the  provision  that  the  government  should  put  it 
in  good  condition  within  their  boundaries.  The 
War  Department,  of  which  Lewis  Cass  was  then 
Secretary,  appealed  to  Congress  for  an  appropria- 
tion of  $600,000  to  make  the  necessary  repairs 
between  Cumberland  and  Wheeling.  Congress 
cut  this  down  to  $300,000,  which  led  the  en- 
gineers of  the  War   Department  to  plarx  a   re- 


duction in  cost  by  making  some  understructures 
of  stone  and  the  superstructures  of  wood.  But 
this  change  was  refused  outright  by  Maryland, 
and  the  government  had  to  yield ;  so,  in  the  end, 
the  stone  bridges  were  built,  after  which  Mary- 
land took  over  and  has  since  controlled  its  por- 
tion of  this  road. 

The  Old  Pike — which,  of  course,  had  the  first 
choice  for  right-of-way — is  now,  as  in  the  days 
of  the  stage  coach  and  freight  wagon,  the  prin- 
cipal gateway  to  the  West,  with  no  alternate  pas- 
sage for  many  miles  above  or  below.  As  the  view 
shows,  its  roadbed  is  about  as  substantial  as  either 
of  the  two  railways  alongside.  Years  ago  the 
Georges  Creek  &  Cumberland  R.  R.  was  built 
as  a  short  road  to  connect  the  mines  of  the  Amer- 
ican Coal  Co.,  in  the  Georges  Creek  district,  and 
certain  allied  interests,  with  the  main  line  of  the 
Baltimore  &  Ohio,  and  the  Pennsylvania  R.  R. 
in  Maryland  (short  connecting  link  from  Cum- 
berland to  the  main  line  of  the  Pennsylvania  sys- 
tem at  Huntington  and  Altoona,  Pa.)  ;  and  be- 
ing comparatively  early  in  the  field,  was  able  to 
pick  out  and  utilize  part  of  this  favorable  route 
through  the  Narrows,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
Pike  from  the  B.  &  O.  In  the  course  of  time 
this  right-of-way  became  exceedingly  valuable, 
and  when  the  Western  Maryland  R.  R.  desired 
to  head  off  from  Cumberland  toward  Connells- 
ville  and  Pittsburgh,  the  strategic  location  of  the 
Georges  Creek  &  Cumberland  led  to  its  purchase 
at  a  susbtantial  figure,  to  become  almost  a  neces- 
sary part  of  the  new  trunk  line. 

On  the  right,  almost  opposite  the  old  stone 
building  now  used  as  a  storehouse  by  the  Stand- 
ard Oil  Co.,  is  a  prominent  escarpment  about 
1,000  feet  high,  known  as  "Lover's  Leap,"  from 


42 


which  an  Indian,  disappointed  in  love,  is  said  to 
have  thrown  himself  to  the  bottom  of  the  gorge. 
It  is  not  recorded  that  this  helped  him  to  any 
great  extent;  if  he  had  pushed  the  other  fellow 
over  this  cliff  it  might  have  been  more  practical, 
and  incidentally,  more  Indian.  The  view  of  the 
Narrows  (almost  a  mile  long)  and  the  surround- 
ing country  from  this  eminence  is  one  of  the  fin- 
est in  Western  Maryland.  The  great,  narrow 
defile,  or  "canyon,"  as  it  would  be  called  in  the 
Far  West,  now  cuts  the  upper  and  lower  sec- 
tions of  Wills  Mountain  in  two,  and  the  old 
Pike  continues  through  the  Gap  with  scarcely  a 
change  in  grade,  past  large  sandstone  boulders  on 
either  side,  apparently  threatening  those  who  pass 
beneath,  but  in  reality  solid  from  one  century  to 
another. 

Traces  of  Historic  Trails 
At  the  western  edge  of  the  Narrows,  the  old 
Pike  passes  first  under  the  Pennsylvania  R.  R. 
in  Maryland  and  then  under  the  Western  Mary- 
land R.  R. ;  immediately  beyond  the  latter,  it 
makes  a  decided  left  turn — away  from  Wills 
Creek  and  alongside  Braddock  Run  (southwest 
fork  of  the  Creek) — following  same  past  Nar- 
rows Park  and  Lavale  to  Allegany  Grove  Camp 
Meeting  Ground,  the  site  of  Braddock's  first  en- 
campment, situated  in  a  narrow  valley  between 
the  lower  section  of  Wills  Mountain  (on  the 
left)  and  Piney  Mountain  (on  the  right).  From 
this  point  the  tourist  may  with  advantage  glance 
back  toward  Cumberland,  and  with  the  aid  of 
the  map,  pages  38  and  39,  secure  a  better  idea  of 
the  past  and  present  road  situation  over  these 
few  miles  than  is  possible  elsewhere. 

At  a  date  not  entirely  clear.  Col.  Thomas 
Cresap,  the  first  permanent  settler  in  Western 
Maryland,  advance  agent  of  and  member  of  the 
Ohio  Co.,  hired  a  friendly  and  honest  Delaware 
Indian,  Nemacolin,  to  make  a  way  for  foot 
travelers  and  pack-horses  across  the  mountains 
and  through  the  forests  from  Cumberland  to  the 


first  point  on  the  Monongahela,  from  whence 
navigation,  impossible  beyond  the  Potomac,  could 
be  resumed  for  Pittsburgh,  Wheeling  and  the 
West.  The  dotted  line  across  Wills  Mountain 
on  the  map,  pages  38  and  39,  represents  the  route 
probably  traveled  by  Nemacolin,  and  not  long 
afterward  by  Christopher  Gist,  a  pathfinder  and 
explorer  for  the  Ohio  Co.,  in  1751-52.  In  his 
Journals,  Gist  mentions  a  gap  (probably  be- 
tween Dan's  and  Piney  Mountains)  "between 
high  mountains  about  6  miles  out"  and  "directly 
on  the  way  to  the  Monongahela" ;  he  also  speaks 
of  the  roundabout  trading  path,  which  at  that 
time  he  considered  an  inferior  way.  After  Gist's 
return  from  his  two  trips  of  exploration,  he  and 
Col.  Cresap  employed  Indians  to  open  a  primi- 
tive road  over  Nemacolin's  trail ;  and  this  might 
be  called  the  actual  beginning  of  the  present  Na- 
tional Pike. 

On  November  14,  1753,  George  Washington, 
then  a  young  Virginia  lieutenant,  reached  the 
present  site  of  Cumberland  with  a  message  from 
Governor  Dinwiddle  of  that  colony  to  the 
French  who  had  come  down  from  Quebec  by  the 
St.  Lawrence  River  and  Lake  Erie  to  build  a 
fort  at  the  forks  of  the  Ohio,  where  Pittsburgh 
now  stands.  Washington  went  immediately  to 
Gist's  house  and  fortunately  secured  that  veteran 
woodsman  as  companion  on  the  perilous  journey, 
which  was  undoubtedly  made  over  Wills  Moun- 
tain instead  of  through  the  Narrows;  a  few 
weeks  later  they  returned  with  an  unsatisfactory 
reply  from  the  commander  at  Fort  Duquesne, 
and  the  French  and  Indian  War  followed.  This 
added  new  importance  to  the  route,  for  at  least 
during  1755  it  was  more  amilitary  highway  than 
one  of  trade  and  peaceful  expansion  toward  the 
West. 

Braddock's  army,  in  which  were  both  Wash- 
ington and  Gist,  started  west  over  Wills  Moun- 
tain, but  so  great  difficulties  were  encountered 
that  the  general   reconnoitered  the  locality,  and 


CO>fDENSED    TOPOGRAPHY    SHOWING    THE    SEVERAL    DISTINCT    RIDGES    AND    PRINCIPAL 

STREAMS  CROSSED  BY  THE  NATIONAL  PIKE  BETWEEN  CUMBERLAND,  MD.,  AND 

UNIONTOWN,    PA.— LIKE    A    SURVEY    FROM    THE    HEIGHTS,    TAKING 

IN  THE  WHOLE 

43 


in  three  days  opened  the  easier  way  through  the 
Narrows  of  Wills  Creek,  by  which  troops  and 
supplies  were  afterwards  transported.  It  is  some- 
what curious  that  after  Braddock's  experience, 
the  government  engineers  should  in  1811  have 
first  laid  out  the  National  Turnpike  over  the 
mountain  at  a  low  point  known  as  Sandy  Gap, 
instead  of  through  the  Narrows,  as  was  done  in 
the  re-location  of  the  first  six  miles  in  1833. 
These  two  routes  once  forked  a  few  rods  west  of 
the  Six-Mile  House,  but  traces  of  the  older  one 
have  now  nearly  disappeared. 

The  old  tavern  known  as  the  Six-Mile  House 
("Gwynne's"  in  pioneer  days)  was  burned  down 
several  years  ago,  and  the  building  erected  in  its 
stead  is  an  unpretentious  private  house ;  its  site 
can  be  identified  by  the  mileage,  and  also  by  the 
good  road  branching  left  nearly  opposite  (to- 
ward the  village  of  Cresaptown,  Md.)  This  is 
known  locally  as  the  "Winchester  Road,"  run- 
ning through  Cresaptown  to  a  connection  with 
the  road  south  from  Cumberland  on  the  east  side 
of  Knobly  Mountain.  It  is  a  very  old  route, 
known  as  early  as  Braddock's  expedition,  and  is 
considerably  used  nowadays  by  motorists  travel- 
ing from  Frostburg  and  vicinity  through  Alaska 
(Frankfort)  to  the  South  Branch  of  the  Poto- 
mac, without  going  through  Cumberland. 

South  Branch  is  very  popular  with  campers  and 
fishermen  during  the  warm  weather,  its  many 
cottages  and  bungalows  being  occupied  by  people 
from  Western   Maryland   and   elsewhere.     The 


South  Branch  of  the  Potomac  is  a  very  beautiful 
river;  many  fine  black  bass  are  caught  there,  and 
a  great  many  innocent  angle  worms  meet  a 
watery  grave.  It  must  also  have  been  a  popular 
resort  with  the  Indians,  for  arrowheads  and 
spears  are  still  found  in  the  surrounding  fields. 

Beyond  the  branching  off  of  the  "Winchester 
Road"  one  looks  up  the  gorge  of  the  Braddock 
Run  straight  ahead  into  the  mountains,  and  there 
is  a  renewed  consciousness  of  speeding  toward  the 
West.  On  the  left,  a  short  distance  beyond,  is 
the  old  toll-house,  location  shown  on  the  map  on 
page  39,  the  only  one  of  its  type  now  standing 
on  this  route  in  Maryland.  The  old  posts,  once 
a  part  of  this  toll-gate,  were  removed  from 
their  original  places  and  can  now  be  seen 
in  the  low  retaining  wall  at  the  back  base- 
ment entrance  to  the  Court  House  in 
Cumberland,  about  20  feet  from  the  building. 
They  are  four-sided  iron  posts  about  nine  or  ten 
feet  high ;  both  are  in  a  good  state  of  preservation, 
rather  imposing,  and  interesting  relics  of  former 
days. 

Clarysville  and  War-Time  Memories 
By  this  time  the  tourist  will  begin  to  see  more 
of  these  old  iron  mile-posts,  though  quite  a  num- 
ber of  the  originally  complete  series  have  disap- 
peared. Continue  on  the  good  road  with  trolley, 
mostly  along  the  Eckhart  Branch  of  the  Cumber- 
land &  Pennsylvania  R.  R.,  passing,  on  the  left, 
the  Cumberland  &  WeUernport  power  house  and 


rhotograplt   by  H.  Laney 

TOLL    HOUSE,    BETWEEN    SIX    AND    SEVEN    MILES  WEST  OF  CUMBERLAND,  AND   MR.   CADY  THE 

LAST    KEEPER    TQ- COLLECT    TOLLS 
The  road  past  this  place  is  now  in  first-class  condition,  and  much  wider  than  when  this  photograph  was  talcen 


44 


Photograph  Copyright  by  J.  K.  Lacock 
CLOSE  VIEW  OF  THE  CLARYSVILLE  HOTEL,  AS  IT  STANDS  TODAY  ON  THE  OLD 
PIKE,  ABOUT  NINE  MILES  WEST  OF  CUMBERLAND 


trolley  barns,  to  the  three  corners  at  the  scat- 
tered village  of  Clarysville.  This  is  easily  iden- 
tified by  the  illustration  on  this  page  of  the  old 
Clarysville  Hotel,  one  of  the  best  preserved  on 
this  part  of  the  route,  and  once  considered  a 
"large  and  commodious"  tavern. 

It  is  said  to  have  been  built  about  1810  or 
1812  by  Gerard  Clary,  who  came  from  Baltimore 
County,  Maryland,  and  married  a  Miss  Wad- 
dell,  whose  father  owned  a  tract  of  land  at  or 
near  Allegheny  called  "Waddell's  Fancy."  If 
it  was  built  as  early  as  that,  it  may  have  been 
originally  on  the  older  Braddock  Road,  just 
where  it  turned  from  Braddock  Run  to  go  up 
Flaggy  Run  toward  Hoffman  Hollow,  through 
which  it  climbed  to  the  top  of  the  ridges  south 
of  Grahamton  and  Frostburg.  The  relative 
location  of  most  of  these  is  shown  on  the  detail 
map,  page  38;  Flaggy  Run  heads  at  Vale  Sum- 
mit, a  short  distance  below  that  map,  but  a 
branch  of  it  comes  down  through  Hoffman. 
Clary  conducted  this  tavern  during  part  of  the 
old  Pike  days. 

Here,  from  the  second  year  of  the  war  between 
the  states  to  its  end,  was  located  one  of  the  most 
important  U.  S.  A.  hospitals  for  convalescent 
soldiers,  with  the  several  frame  buildings  grouped 
largely  around,  though  principally  in  front  of  the 
hotel,  as  shown  in  the  illustration,  page  46. 
The  first  building  to  the  right  of  the  tavern  was 
the  dispensary,  the  name  of  which  can  be  seen  on 
the  original  photograph,  though  almost  lost  in  the 
reproduction.  .  To  the  right  of  the  dispensary  was 
the  guard  house,  a  small  stone  building,  the  bot- 
tom floor  of  which  was  used  as  a  dead  house. 
The  building  to  the  left  of  the  tavern,  with  the 


horse  and  buggy  in  front,  was  the  residence  of 
Dr.  J.  Bu  Lewis,  Surgeon,  U.  S.  Volunteers,  in 
charge  of  the  hospital. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  the  Pike  from  the 
tavern  a  horse  will  be  noticed.,  tied  to  the  rail- 
ing. The  horse  belonged  to  Dr.  M.  M.  Town- 
send,  a  practicing  physician  who  had  charge  of 
several  of  the  wards  until  the  close  of  the  war. 
Officers'  quarters,  the  dining  room  and  office 
were  in  the  old  tavern ;  the  long  frame  buildings, 
about  100  feet  by  18  feet,  were  sick  wards,  each 
having  two  rows  of  iron  cots,  with  an  aisle  down 
the  center.  After  the  war  all  these  temporary 
structures  were  torn  down  and  sold,  the  iron  bed- 
steads being  bought  and  used  quite  generally 
throughout  that  part  of  the  country. 

Though  the  picture  is  generally  true  to  life, 
the  artist  erred  badly  in  putting  a  wood-burning 
stack  on  an,  engine  used  in  the  heart  of  the  coal 
regions.,  and  also  in  showing  hard-coal  cars  on  a 
railway  hauling  only  soft  coal,  but  the  old  pas- 
senger coach  is  a  faithful  reproduction.  It  was 
painted  red,  had  two  hand-brakes  at  one  end  and 
one  at  the  other;  it  was  run  by  gravity  from 
Eckhart,  the  next  town  on  our  route,  to  the 
Narrows,  west  of  Cumberland,  and  only  coupled 
on  to  the  coal  train  to  be  hauled  into  that  city. 
G.  G.  Townsend,  son  of  Dr.  M.  M.  Townsend, 
and  now  of  Frostburg,  traveled  on  this  railroad 
for  four  years  while  attending  the  Allegany  Co. 
Academy  at  Cumberland,  and  was  often  allowed 
to  "run  the  car,"  especially  near  election  time, 
when  the  conductor  was  inclined  to  talk  politics 
with  the  passengers.  After  the  coming  of  the 
trolley  the  old  car  served  some  time  as  a  caboose 
and  was  then  dispensed  with. 


45 


MRS.    M.    E.    TOVVNSEND,    OF    FROSTBURG, 
MARYLAND 

Who  suggested  Clarysville  ,as  the  site  of  the  U.  S.  General 

Hospital.      Still    living,    in    excellent    health,    in    her 

84th  year 

In  looking  up  data  concerning  the  war-time 
hospital  at  Clarysville,  the  writer  discovered  that 
the  first  suggestion  to  locate  it  there  was  made  by 
Mrs.  Mary  E.  Townsend.  Though  in  her  83rd 
year,  Mrs.  Townsend  wrote  from  Frostburg  in 
January,  1915,  clearly  in  her  own  handwriting, 
the  following  account  of  how  the  hospital  came 
to  be  located  there: 

"I  remember  perfectly  the  first  time  I  went  to 


Cumberland  to  see  my  husband  after  he  went  into 
the  hospital  there.  It  was  in  Dr.  George  B. 
Sukely's  room,  and  he  said  to  my  husband :  'Can't 
you  think  of  some  place  near  here  where  these 
convalescent  men,  who  are  not  improving  in  this 
dreadful  heat,  could  be  transferred?'  I  did  not 
wait  for  my  husband  to  reply,  but  said  I  knew  of 
the  very  place,  eight  and  one-half  miles  from 
Cumberland,  in  a  delightful  valley  I  came 
through  this  afternoon — the  finest  spring  water, 
a  large  wagon  tavern,  several  houses  and  three 
large  barns  not  used  for  years.  I  went  on  to  de- 
scribe it  as  surrounded  by  woods,  with  rocks  to 
sit  on,  and  the  air  delightfully  cool. 

"It  took  Dr.  Sukely's  idea  at  once,  and  he  pro- 
posed going  to  see  it,  which  he  did,  and  found 
it  just  the  thing.  The  next  day  the  barns  were 
cleaned  and  fresh  hay  put  on  the  floor;  then  the 
men  were  taken  up  in  their  blankets  and  laid  on 
the  floor.  Many  said  they  had  never  slept  so 
well;  it  proved  an  ideal  spot  and  hundreds  of 
men  were  saved  by  the  easy  transfer.  The  1,100 
feet  greater  elevation  and  the  pure  water  made 
a  great  difference. 

"My  husband.  Dr.  M.  M.  Townsend,  had 
charge  of  it  at  first,  and  everything  possible  was 
done  for  the  comfort  of  the  men;  but  it  was 
found  that  an  army  officer  must  be  employed  to 
take  charge  of  the  hospital.  Dr.  Townsend  was 
not  willing  to  go  into  the  army^  and  Dr.  J.  B. 
Lewis,  who  brought  his  wife,  three  children  and 
his  mother-in-law,  was  employed.  Eight  govern- 
ment wards  were  erected,  the  few  houses  fitted  up 
and  physicians  employed.  Dr.  Lewis'  family  and 
myself  were  all  interested  in  the  convalescent  men 
and  did  what  we  could  for  their  comfort;  at  one 
time  there  were  over  2,000  in  the  hospital." 


OLD  PRINT  OF  U.  S.  A.  GENERAL  HOSPITAL  AT  CLARYSVILLE,  MD.,  IN   1862-1864 

The  Old  Pike  makes  a  right  curve  at  about  the  cetfTer  of  the  picture.     Clarysville   Hotel    (standing  today) 

is  seen  just  left  of  the  flagstaff 

46 


Chapter  5:     CLARYSVILLE,  MARYLAND,  THROUGH  FROSTBURG 
AND  GRANTSVILLE,  TO  THE  PENNSYLVANIA  LINE 


T  Clarysville  the  National  Pike, 
which  follows  the  older  Braddock 
Road  most  of  the  way  from  Alle- 
gany Grove,  leaves  that  route 
(which  kept  more  nearly  straight 
west  through  HofiEman,  as  shown  by  the  map 
page  38)  by  turning  right  across  a  fairly  long 
stone  bridge.  Immediately  beyond  it  begins  a 
considerable  ascent,  with  a  left  curve  below  the 
Eckhart  mines,  crossing  the  Cumberland  &  Penn- 
sylvania tracks  into  Eckhart,  whose  most  con- 
spicuous landmarks  are  the  mining  operations  of 
the  Consolidation  Coal  Co.  We  are  now  enter- 
ing one  of  the  most  interesting  bituminous  coal 
producing  sections  of  the  United  States;  in  fact, 
one  of  the  very  first  mines  of  the  now  celebrated 
Georges  Creek  coal  was  at  Eckhart. 

In  the  earliest  days,  the  coal  was  hauled  by 
wagon  to  Cumberland,  where  it  was  put  onto 
flat-boats  and  keel-boats,  to  be  sent  in  time  of 
high  water  down  the  winding  Potomac  to 
Georgetown  (D.  C).  There  it  was  unloaded 
and  the  flat-boats  broken  up  to  sell  for  lumber, 
though  some  of  the  keel-boats  were  brought  back 
and  loaded  again.  This  was  before  the  Chesa- 
peake &  Ohio  Canal  was  built,  and  one  has  only 
to  note  again  the  many  windings  of  the  Potomac, 
as  shown  on  the  map  top  of  page  9,  to  realize 
the  difficulty  of  getting  coal  to  market  with  such 
primitive  means  of  transportation. 

At  Mount  Savage,  on  the  upper  one  of  the 
two  roads  between  Cumberland  and  Frostburg 
(see  map  page  48),  were  rolled  the  first  rail- 
road rails  in  the  United  States,  in  cross-section 
resembling  an  inverted  U.  Some  of  these  were 
used  on  the  Eckhart  R.  R.,,  and  old-timers  say 
that  they  could  tell  by  the  different  sound  the 
moment  the  car  struck  them.  At  that  time 
Mount  Savage  was  a  promising  industrial  center, 
operating  two  large  blast  furnaces  and  quite  large 
rolling  mills.  It  now  has  large  fire  brick  and 
enameled  brick  works. 

Beyond  Eckhart  the  Pike  continues  on  a  fairly 
steady  ascent,  along  with  the  trolley,  past  the 
Eckhart  Farm,  with  many  fine  views,  especially 
over  to  the  left  and  back  toward  Cumberland, 
into  Union  Street,  the  main  street  of  Frostburg. 
Entering  the  town,  there  is  a  comfortable  stretch 
of  brick,  followed  by  a  rather  steep  upgrade  on 
rough  stone  pavement,  to  the  business  center  at 
Broadway,  an  intersection  easily  identified  by  the 


First  National  Bank  and  the  Citizens  National 
Bank  on  opposite  left-hand  corners.  Just  beyond 
— see  map,  page  48 — is  the  Gladstone  Hotel, 
on  the  right,  and  a  little  farther  along  the  Post 
Office. 

Frostburg  is  a  substantial,  prosperous-looking 
place,  with  a  population  of  about  8,000  within 
the  corporate  limits,,  and  from  10,000  to  12,000 
within  a  one-mile  radius.  It  is  situated  on  top 
of  the  divide  between  the  waters  of  Jennings 
Run  on  the  north  and  Georges  Creek  on  the 
south,  that  ridge  connecting  the  base  of  Dans 
Mountain  on  the  southeast  with  that  of  Big 
Savage  Mountain  on  the  northwest.  Rain  fall- 
ing on  the  right,  or  north,  side  of  Union  or  Main 
Street  finds  its  way  into  Jennings  Run,  and 
thence  to  Wills  Creek  and  the  Potomac  at  Cum- 
berland; water  from  the  south  side  of  Union  or 
Main  Street  runs  into  Georges  Creek,  and 
reaches  the  Potomac  at  Piedmont,  W.  Va.  Frost- 
burg has  an  elevation  of  2,100  feet,  pure  moun- 
tain spring  water,  magnificent  mountain  scenery 
in  all  directions,  a  fine  summer  climate,  and  many 
miles  of  good  road. 

From  Cumberland  to  Frostburg  by  the  Na- 
tional Road  is  only  eleven  miles,  and  about  the 
same  by  the  State  Aid  Road,  also  shown  on 
the  map  page  48,  through  Corriganville  and 
Mount  Savage,  though  by  the  Western  Mary- 
land R.  R.  the  distance  is  fifteen  miles.  It  is 
worthy  of  note  that  many  of  the  principal  towns 
between  Cumberland  and  Wheeling  grew  up 
along  the  old  Pike  about  twelve  miles  apart. 
The  two  leading  taverns  in  Frostburg  at  the 
height  of  popularity  of  the  road  were  the 
"Franklin  House"  and  "Highland  Hall,"  the 
locations  of  both  of  which  are  shown  on  the  local 
map  page  48.  The  "Franklin  House"  site  is 
now  occupied  by  the  First  National  Bank,  on  the 
south  side  of  Union  Street  and  the  east  side  of 
Broadway.  "Highland  Hall"  stood  about  where 
the  Roman  Catholic  rectory  now  stands,  and  was 
one  of  the  most  popular  and  noted  taverns  along 
the  road. 

The  once  sharp  competition  between  the  regu- 
lar freight  and  passenger  traffic  lines  naturally 
brought  rival  ones  into  existence.  Searight's 
History  of  the  "Old  Pike"  mentions  the  Franklin 
House  and  Highland  Hall,  but  not  the  McCul- 
loh  House,  though  the  latter  was  conducted  as  a 


47 


FOR    DETAILS    BETWEEN    CUMBERLAND    AND    FROSTBURG,    SEE    MAP    EXTENDING 

ACROSS  PAGES  38-39 


tavern  much  later  than  either  of  the  others. 
This  stood  on  the  south  side  of  the  Pike,  almost 
facing  the  road  leading  from  Union  Street  to  the 
C.  &  P.  depot  and  Mount  Savage;  it  was  a 
large,  two-story  brick  building,  with  a  broad 
porch  on  its  front  and  east  sides,  the  one  on  the 
east  overlooking  the  large  stage  and  wagon  yard 
that  extended  back  to  the  barn  where  the  stage 
horses  were  kept.  Teams  were  changed  here  and 
elsewhere  about  every  twelve  miles  along  the 
route.  The  remodeled  building  is  now  used  as  a 
general  store,  owned  by  Shaffer  Bros. 

Glance  at  Transportation  Facilities 
The  vast  tonnage  of  this  region  finds  its  way, 
especially  to  tidewater  markets,  through  several 
channels,  largely  at  first  over  the  Cumberland    & 


Pennsylvania  R.  R.,  which,  with  the  Consolida- 
tion Coal  Co.,  a  subsidiary  of  the  B.  &  O.,  passes 
through  almost  a  continuous  town  in  the  Georges 
Creek  valley  from  Frostburg  to  Lonaconing,  con- 
necting with  the  parent  system  both  at  Mount 
Savage  Junction  above,  and  at  Piedmont  below. 
Frostburg  is  the  highest  town  in  the  district; 
then,  farther  south,  on  lower  elevations,  are  Bor- 
den Shaft,  Midland  and  Ocean  to  Lonaconing, 
about  at  the  center  of  the  mining  region  and 
headquarters  for  several  of  the  producing  com- 
panies, situated  in  the  valley  225  feet  below  the 
Georges  Creek  Big  Vein. 

Mount  Savage  Junction  (see  map  above), 
where  the  B.  &  O.  R.  R.  turns  the  corner  for 
Connellsville  and  Pittsburgh,  is  a  great  transfer 


MAP  SHOWING  THE 
ROUTE  OF  THE  NA- 
TIONAL PIKE  THROUGH 
FROSTBURG  AND  PRIN- 
CIPAL POINTS  OF  IN- 
TEREST   IN    THAT    CITY 


48 


point  for  coal,  east  and  north.  Not  only  does 
the  Cumberland  &  Pennsylvania  bring  a  heavy 
tonnage  to  that  point  from  the  full  length  of  the 
Georges  Creek  valley,  but  it  also  makes  connec- 
tions with  the  Pennsylvania  system  from  its  junc- 
tion with  that  railroad  at  Ellersie,  jVId.,  just 
north  of  Corriganville  and  on  the  Mason  and 
Dixon  line.  The  Georges  Creek  &  Cumberland, 
running  between  Cumberland  and  Lonaconing, 
without  going  through  Frostburg,  is  now  a  part 
of  the  Western  Maryland  system,  and  delivers 
its  tonnage  to  that  road  at  Cumberland. 

Considerable  of  the  coal  mined  in  this  district 
still  goes  to  Cumberland  and  then  down  the  Po- 
tomac by  the  Chesapeake  &  Ohio  Canal,  now 
controlled  by  the  B.  &  O.  Boats  carrying  about 
110  tons  each  make  the  trip  from  Cumberland 
to  Georgetown,  D.  C,  or  Alexandria,  Va.,  in 
from  four  to  five  days  over  the  water  route,  in 
which  Washington  was  so  much  interested  both 
before  and  after  the  Revolution.  In  the  very 
early  days  some  of  the  coal  from  this  district  was 
hauled  south  to  Westernport  and  thence  boated 
along  the  north  branch  of  the  Potomac,  but  that 
is  done  no  more. 

In  and  around  Frostburg  are  many  points  of 
interest  if  the  tourist  has  time  to  look  them  up. 
From  Dans  Rock,  on  the  summit  of  Dans 
Mountain  (named  for  Daniel  Cresap,  son  of 
the  pioneer.  Col.  Thomas  Cresap),  about  seven 
miles  southeast  of  Frostburg,  is  had  one  of  the 
finest  views  in  the  Appalachians,  embracing  parts 
of  Maryland,  Pennsylvania  and  West  Virginia, 


and  an  especially  long  stretch  of  the  north  branch 
of  the  Potomac.  It  is,  however,  difficult  to  reach 
by  motor,  though  sooner  or  later  the  county  or 
state  will  probably  build  a  good  road  to  that 
point. 

One  of  the  two  Maryland  State  normal  schools 
is  located  at  Frostburg,  and  also  the  Miners' 
Hospital,  built  and  maintained  in  co-operation  be- 
tween the  state,  city  and  mining  companies.  The 
hospital  stands  on  an  elevation  overlooking  the 
Jennings  valley,  by  which  the  upper  one  of  the 
two  routes  from  Cumberland  enters  Frostburg, 
and  commands  a  magnificent  view.  Both  this 
and  the  State  Normal  School  are  located  on  the 
map,  page  48,  which  also  shows  how  the  con- 
necting route  down  the  Georges  Creek  valley 
leaves  Union  Street  by  Grant  Street,  at  the  east- 
ern end  of  Frostburg. 

Resuming  the  trip,  leave  Frostburg  northwest 
on  Union  Street,  up  a  slight  grade  and  over 
a  short  stretch  of  brick,  coming  again  onto  the 
macadam  of  the  old  Pike.  There  is  now  an  un- 
expected but  rather  steep  downgrade,  in  the  course 
of  which  the  car  used  in  taking  these  notes 
passed  a  four-horse  team  laboring  slowly  up  with 
a  wagon  of  heavy  logs,  apparently  as  was  done 
three-quarters  of  a  century  ago.  After  crossing 
the  small  stream  at  the  foot,  one  begins  the 
ascent,  which  is  not  ended  until  the  summit  of 
one  of  the  main  Allegheny  ridges  is  reached  at 
Big  Savage  Mountain. 

Midway  of  this  ascent  the  view  on  this  page 
was  taken ;  on   the  south  side  of  the  road  and 


Photograph  Copyrighted  by  J,  K.  Lacock 
LONG,  STEADY  GRADE  ON  THE  EASTERN  SLOPE  OF  BIG  SAVAGE  MOUNTAIN  AND 

ORIGINAL  GATE-POSTS 

On  the  left  is  the  site  of  the  second  brick  toll-house  west  of  Cumberland.     The  roadway  is  now 

in  perfect  condition 

49 


just  west  of  the  two  iron  posts,  where  the  two 
men  are  standing,  is  the  site  of  the  second  brick 
toll  house  west  of  Cumberland.  The  boundary 
line  between  Allegany  and  Garrett  Counties  as 
shown  on  the  map,  page  48,  passes  just  west 
of  where  that  old  toll  house  stood,  though  a 
more  recent  survey  of  the  boundary  line  between 
the  counties  passes  about  half  a  mile  west  of 
that  point.  Garrett  County  was  made  from  the 
western  portion  of  Allegany  in  1872,  and  the 
two  have  since  then  had  considerable  trouble  over 
the  dividing  line,  which  is  supposed  to  be  from 
the  mouth  of  the  Savage  River  at  its  junction 
with  the  Potomac,  near  Piedmont,  W.  Va.,  by 
a  straight  line  along  the  backbone  of  Big  Savage 
Mountain  to  the  Mason  and  Dixon  line,  at 
the  southern  border  of  Somerset  County,  Pa. 
In  ascending  the  long  steady  grade  on  the 
eastern  slope  of  Big  Savage  Mountain,  a  won- 
derful view  unfolds  over  to  the  left;  and  it 
will  repay  the  tourist  to  watch  for  the  road 
built  by  private  subscription,  just  at  the  crest, 
leading  to  St.  John's  Rock.  This  is  shown  as 
a  spur  from  the  old  Pike  on  the  map,  page  38; 
the  "rock"  has  an  elevation  of  2,930  feet,  or 
50  feet  above  the  point  where  the  main  road 
crosses  the  summit  of  Big  Savage  Mountain. 
From  the  rock,  and  to  a  large  degree  also  from 
the  Pike,  one  may  look  back  and  see  Wills 
Mountain,  the  Narrows,  Sandy  Gap,  Dans 
Mountain  and  Frostburg. 


Photograph  by  Gilbert,  Frostburg 

ST.   JOHN'S  ROCK    (VIEW   LOOKING   SOUTH)    JUST 

OFF  THE  ROAD   FROM  FROSTBURG  TO  THE 

SUMMIT  OF  BIG  SAVAGE  MOUNTAIN 

This  rock  has  an  elevation  of  2,930  feet,  and  commands  one 
of   the    finest   views    in   Western    Maryland 


Up  to  the  time  that  a  road  is  constructed 
to  Dans  Rock  (as  mentioned  in  a  preceding  para- 
graph), the  view  from  St.  John's  Rock  is  prob- 
ably the  finest  on  this  trip.  W.  E.  G.  Hitchens, 
G.  G.  Townsend,  and  other  public-spirited 
motorists  of  Frostburg,  have  been  principally 
instrumental  in  raising  the  money  necessary  to 
build  the  road,  which  leads  directly  to  the  rock, 
around  which  there  is  ample  space  for  leaving  or 
turning  cars.  About  800  feet  south  of  the  rock 
is  a  low  point  where  the  mountain  was  crossed 
by  Braddock's  Road ;  an  old  wood  road  in  fair 
condition  leads  to  it,  and  the  distance  can  either 
be  walked,  or  a  car  can  be  taken  over  it  with- 
out much  difficulty. 

On  THE  Allegheny  Summits. 

Just  beyond  the  sideroad  to  St.  John's  Rock, 
the  Pike  makes  a  right  curve  at  2,880  feet  ele- 
vation, almost  1,000  feet  above  Frostburg;  this 
is  the  actual  summit  of  Big  Savage  Mountain 
which,  with  Negro  Mountain  and  Keysers 
Ridge,  both  farther  along,  are  the  three  highest 
points  between  Baltimore  and  Wheeling.  Then 
there  is  a  gradual  descent  of  the  western  slope 
to  cross  a  stone  bridge  over  Savage  River;  and 
a  corresponding  ascent,  this  time  up  Little  Sav- 
age Mountain,  which  is  120  feet  lower  than 
Big  Savage.  One  can  easily  imagine  that  the 
wind  blows  up  strong  at  times  across  these 
heights;  and,  looking  either  ahead  or  behind, 
the  layman  is  apt  to  wonder  that  a  road  of  so 
relatively  easy  grades  could  be  laid  out  across 
this  sort  of  country. 

On  the  right,  immediately  beyond  Little  Sav- 
age, is  the  farm  of  Thomas  Johnson,  a  de- 
scendent  of  the  first  state  governor  of  Mary- 
land ;  his  house  is  at  the  fifteenth  mile-post  west 
of  Cumberland  or  the  fourth  beyond  Frostburg. 
Nearly  opposite,  but  a  trifle  father  west,  are  Mr. 
Johnson's  spacious  barns;  the  larger  one  shown 
in  the  view  on  page  51  is  at  the  beginning 
of  the  longest  straightaway  so  far  on  the  Pike 
west  of  Cumberland.  This  was  known  in  stage 
coach  days  as  the  "Long  Stretch,"  a  continual 
succession  of  up  and  down  grades,  but  without 
any  deviation  from  a  direct  line  for  two  and 
a  half  miles — naturally  longer  to  the  freight 
wagon  driver  of  three-quarters  of  a  century  ago 
than  to  the  motorist  of  today.  Eight-tenths 
of  a  mile  beyond  the  west  foot  of  the  Little 
Savage  Mountain,  and  65/100  mile  beyond  the 
Johnson  house,  our  route  crosses  Fishing  Run, 
the  first  northward-flowing  stream,  the  waters 
of  which  find  their  way  into  the  Monongahela, 


50 


Photograph  by  Gilbert,  Frostburg 
LOOKING    DOWN    THE    WESTERN    SLOPE    OF    LITTLE    SAVAGE    MOUNTAIN.    ACROSS    RED 
RIDGE  TO   MEADOW   MOUNTAIN    (IN  THE   EXTREME   DISTANCE) 

The   farm-house  on   the   right-hand   side  of   the   road   in   the   middle   distance   is  owned   by   Thomas  Jolinson, 
descendant   of   the   first   state   governor  of   Maryland 


Ohio,  the  Mississippi  and  ultimately  into  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico. 

The  road  could  easily  have  been  built  some- 
what around  rather  than  straight  across  some 
of  these  ridges,  at  the  same  time  securing  more 
uniform  and  lighter  grades;  but  that  would  not 
have  been  in  keeping  with  the  letter  of  the  law 
which  created  the  National  Turnpike.  One 
traveling  this  "long  stretch"  is  reminded  of  the 
earlier  part  of  the  trip  between  Baltimore  and 
Hagerstown,  except,  of  course,  this  section  is 
much  more  hilly.  The  next  few  miles  are  over 
lesser  ranges  and  across  minor  streams,  as  shown 
by  the  map  on  top  of  page  48 ;  and  one  needs 
to  keep  a  lookout  for  the  next  point  of  interest, 
best  identified  by  a  clump  of  trees  on  the  north 
side  of  the  road  about  three  and  a  half  miles 
from  the  western  foot  of  Little  Savage  Moun- 
tain. Here  it  is  still  possible  to  see  where  and 
how  Braddock's  Road  crossed  the  National  High- 
way; near  this  point  also  the  third  brigade  of 
Braddock's  army  camped  on  June  15,  1755. 

Less  than  a  quarter  mile  west  was  the  "wagon 
stand"  kept  as  early  as  1830  by  John  Recknor, 
beyond  which  begins  the  long  descent — -about  260 
feet  in  a  mile — to  Two-Mile  Run,  a  small 
stream  crossed  by  a  short  stone  culvert.  The  long 
"hollow"  on  either  side  of  this  was  once  com- 
monly known  as  the  "Shades  of  Death,"  from 
the  dense  forests  of  white  pine  which  formerly 
covered   the  region,  making  a  favorable  shelter 


for  hostile  Indians  and  shutting  out  nearly  all 
of  the  sunlight  even  on  a  bright  summer  day. 
Old  wagoners  who  drove  from  Baltimore  to  the 
Ohio  River  or  beyond  dreaded  this  locality  as 
the  darkest  and  gloomiest  place  along  the  route; 
and  it  was  the  scene  of  one  or  more  "hold-ups." 
But  the  once-splendid  white  pine  forests  in 
this  part  of  Garrett  County  were  cut  down, 
sawed  up  and  shipped  to  market  long  ago;  so 
the  "Shades  of  Death"  became  no  more,  though 
it  is  only  a  few  years  since  the  last  mill  made 
into  shingles  what  was  left  of  the  pine.  Many 
of  the  larger  stumps  are  still  in  the  ground, 
and  others  were  built  into  the  stump  fences  so 
characteristic  of  a  once  heavily-wooded  country; 
most  of  these  fences  have  begun  to  decay  from 
their  exposure  of  a  generation  or  more  to  the 
elements.  About  one  mile  west  the  road  makes 
a  dip  to  the  small  stream  known  as  Red  Run, 
and  immediately  thereafter  ascends  the  eastern 
slope  of  Meadow  Mountain.  In  this  valley  is 
the  small  hamlet  of  Piney  Grove,  also  named 
from  the  pine  trees  once  covering  this  entire 
section. 

Meadow  Mountain — The  "Dividing 

Ridge" 

Here  at  an  elevation  of  2,792  feet    (slightly 

less  than  Big  Savage  Mountain  already  crossed, 

and  Negro  Mountain  and  Keysers  Ridge,  a  few 

miles  ahead),  the  old  Pike  passes  over  the  divid- 


51 


ing  ridge  between  the  Atlantic  and  Mississippi 
Valley  watersheds.  The  feeling  of  approaching 
the  West  grows  still  more  upon  the  tourist.  On 
the  north  side  of  the  road  is  a  fenced  enclosure 
likely  not  to  be  noticed  at  speed  unless  one  is  on 
the  lookout  for  it,  marking  the  resting  place  of  an 
unknown  soldier,  who  is  said  to  have  been  mur- 
dered for  the  pension  money  he  was  carrying 
home  from  Washington. 

The  fairly  long  descent  of  the  west  slope  of 
Meadow  Mountain  brings  one  to  an  almost  im- 
perceptible stream,  Meadow  Run,  immediately 
beyond  which — after  a  short  rise — ^the  tourist 
comes  to  one  of  the  most  interesting  old  houses 
still  standing  in  good  condition  on  the  National 
Turnpike.  Historically  this  is  known  as  the 
Jesse  Tomlinson  House,  at  "Little  Meadows," 
the  latter  name  used  in  the  official  records  of 
the  Braddock  expedition  to  indicate  the  site  of 
Braddock's  fourth  encampment;  the  house  is  on 
the  north  side  of  the  road  and  built  of  local 
stone,  painted  white,  which  renders  it  visible 
from  a  considerable  distance  as  one  travels  west. 
Tomlinson  first  kept  a  tavern  on  the  Old  Brad- 
dock  Road;  but  on  completion  of  this  section  of 
the  National  Pike  in  1815,  he  built  this  larger 
place,  which,  with  an  estate  of  over  1,200  acres, 
is  now  owned  by  D.  F.  Kuyendall  of  Cumber- 
land. James  K.  Polk  dined  at  this  old  tavern 
on  his  way  to  be  inaugurated  president  of  the 
United  States  in  1845. 

Now  the  Pike  makes  a  short  but  rather  steep 
ascent  of  Chestnut  Ridge,  Maryland   (Chestnut 


Ridge,  Pennsylvania,  is  just  east  of  Union- 
town)  ;  from  the  top^2,677  feet  elevation — 
the  tourist  may  look  ahead  across  the  fine  valley 
of  the  Castleman  River  and  see  Grantsville  in 
the  distance.  The  next  two  and  a  half  miles 
are  down  a  long  easy  grade,  near  the  foot  of 
which  one  crosses  the  Jennings  Brothers'  local 
railroad  and  comes  to  the  picturesque  stone 
bridge  shown  in  the  illustration,  page  54.  At 
the  time  it  was  built  this  was  said  to  have  been 
the  largest  single  span  bridge  of  rubble  stone 
masonry  in  the  United  States;  it  is  a  noteworthy 
structure  today,  with  careful,  mechanically 
turned  arches,  giving  a  very  artistic  appearance. 
The  old  Stanton  Mill,  which  may  yet  be  seen 
in  operation  on  the  north  side  of  the  Pike  just 
east  of  the  bridge,  was  erected  by  Jesse  Tomlin- 
son, who  also  built  the  stone  house  at  "Little 
Meadows,"  and  was  for  some  time  a  saw-mill 
and  grist-mill  combined.  It  will  repay  anyone 
to  stop  and  leave  the  car  long  enough  to  ex- 
amine this  stone  arch  bridge  from  underneath, 
and  see  what  a  substantial,  well-proportioned 
example  of  masonry  it  is;  though  the  structure 
was  extensively  repaired  a  few  years  ago,  its 
present  condition  testifies  to  the  thoroughness  of 
the  original  work.  From  underneath  the  bridge 
there  is  also  a  view  of  the  ford,  about  a  hundred 
yards  to  the  south,  where  Braddock's  army  crossed 
the  Castleman  on  its  way  toward  Fort  Duquesne 
in  1755;  in  dry  weather  it  is  a  shallow  place, 
with  many  stones,  and  occasionally  a  part  of  the 
bottom  shows  above  the  quietly  flowing  water. 


DESCENT    TO    TWU-MILK    KU\,    THE    SECOND    NURTHVVAKD    l-LOWINC.    STREAM 

BETWEEN  BIG  SAVAGE  MOUNTAIN  AND  MEADOW  MOUNTAIN;  A  LESSER 

RANGE,  RED  RIDGE,   SEEN  IN  THE  DISTANCE 

The  hollow  which  the  automobile  is  approaching  was  called  the  "Shades  of  Death"  by  the  old 
stage  coach  and  freight  wagon  drivers  on  .account  of  the  heavy    pine  forests  almost 

darkening  the   road 

52 


In  the  days  of  the  stage  coach  and  freight 
wagon,  this  bridge  was  popularly  known  as 
"Little  Crossings,"  to  distinguish  it  from  the 
"Big  Crossings"  of  the  Youghiogheny  at  Somer- 
field.  Pa.,  farther  along.  The  Castleman  is  a 
tributary  of  the  Youghiogheny,  and  the  latter 
of  the  Monongahela,  the  waters  from  all  of 
which  flow  into  the  Ohio  at  Pittsburgh.  Across 
the  Pike  from  the  old  Stanton  Mill  was  once 
a  tavern  stand,  said  to  have  been  a  very  popular 
stopping  place;  after  having  been  shortened 
twenty  feet  at  each  end,  and  the  old  white  pine 
logs  weather-boarded  over,  it  is  still  a  large, 
homelike  and  most  comfortable  house,  owned 
and   occupied   by   Uriah   Stanton. 

In  and  About  Grantsville 
West  of  the  Castleman,  the  Pike  makes  the 
usual  ascent,  bringing  one  quickly  into  Grants- 
ville, the  most  important  point  so  far  west  of 
Frostburg,  and  a  popular  stopping  place  in  the 
olden    days.      The    original    town,    which    was 
founded  over  a  century  ago  by  Daniel  Grant, 
is   said    to   have   been   on    the    Braddock    Road, 
one  mile  from  the  river,  which  would  place  it 
about  half  a  mile  west  of  the  present  location, 
or  approximately  a  quarter  mile  south  of  where 
the   county   road   branches   to   the   right    at   the 
top   of    the   hill.      When    Garrett    County   was 
cut  off  from  Allegheny,  Grantsville  came  near 
to   selection   as   the  county   seat;   but   it   lost   to 
Oakland    an   account   of   the   latter   being  more 
central   and   also  on    the   B.   &  O.   R.   R.      Its 
situation   is  very  similar  to   that  of  Frostburg; 
each  is  about  in  the  center  of  a  coal  basin,  and 
both  are  on  high  ridges  between  two  mountains 
forming  the  eastern  and  western  limits  of  those 
areas.     But  the  coal  in  the  Salisbury  basin,  in 
which    Grantsville    is    situated,    has    only    been 
profitably  worked  in  its  upper  portion,  near  the 
towns   of   Salisbury   and    Meyersdale,    Pa.,    and 
farther  north. 

Grantsville  is  2.351  feet  above  sea  level,  and 
has  three  hotels,  of  which  the  Castleman  House 
is  a  solid  old  brick  structure  on  the  right  at  the 
milepost  "25  M."  from  Cumberland  or  "106 
M."  from  Wheeling.  It  stands  well  back  from 
the  road  in  a  plot  of  ten  acres,  and  was  long 
known  as  the  Steiner  House,  from  the  name 
of  the  old-time  builder  and  proprietor.  On  the 
left,  farther  along,  is  the  Victoria  and  then  the 
National,  the  latter  the  oldest  hotel  site  in  the 
village;  one  also  notices  two  substantial  banks 
for  a  place  of  only  about  300  population,  but 
the  country  in  and  about  Grantsville  is  largely 
inhabited  by  substantial  farmers. 


t^hotograph  Copyright  J.  A.  l^ai,itck 

THE      JESSE      TOMLINSON      HOUSE      AT      "LITTLE 

MEADOWS;"   ONE   OF   THE    FINEST   PLACES   ON 

THE  OLD  ROAD  TODAY,  AND  WIDELY 

KNOWN  AS  THE  "STONE  HOUSE" 

View  looking  down  the  west  slope  of  Meadow  Mountain;  in 

the  distance  the  beginning  of  the  next  ascent  toward  the 

Castleman   River 

After  going  over  a  minor  ridge,  just  west 
of  Grantsville,  the  road  dips  into  a  considerable 
hollow,  at  the  foot  of  which  we  cross  Big  and 
Little  Shade  Run,  both  small  tributaries  of  the 
Castleman ;  on  the  left,  and  in  plain  view  from 
the  highway  at  this  point  is  the  site  of  Brad- 
dock's  fifth  encampment.  Then  there  is  a  right 
curve,  just  as  the  Pike  starts  its  winding  ascent 
of  the  eastern  slope  of  Negro  Mountain,  requir- 
ing a  climb  of  687  feet  in  slightly  over  two 
miles  to  the  summit  at  an  elevation  of  2,906 
feet.  Braddock's  Road  was  cut  over  this  moun- 
tain in  1755,  and  the  scar  left  by  it  is  quite 
plain  today. 

From  the  top  there  is  another  interesting  view, 
but  hardly  as  fine  as  from  St.  John's  Rock  on 
the  summit  of  Big  Savage.  Negro  Mountain, 
the  second  one  of  the  three  highest  points  on 
this  trip,  rises  by  a  narrow  margin  above  either 
of  its  rivals,  being  generally  considered  the  very 
backbone  of  the  Allegheny  system  in  Western 
Maryland.  In  the  "Life  of  Capt.  Michael 
Cresap,"  by  his  adopted  son,  John  J.  Jacob,  the 
author  states  that  Negro  Mountain  received  its 
name  from  the  fact  that  a  gigantic  negro,  who 
accompanied  the  old  fighter  and  his  two  sons, 
Daniel  and  Michael,  was  killed  there  in  Cresap's 
last  fight  with  the  Indians.  Shortly  before  this-. 
Captain  Cresap  and  a  party  of  volunteers  had  ati 
encounter  with  the  redskins  on  the  Braddock 
road  at  the  west  foot  of  Savage  Mountain,  in 
which  his  son  Thomas  confronted  an  Indian, 
and  both  firing  at  the  same  time  was  killed,  but 
succeeded  in  mortally  wounding  his  antagonist. 


53 


Photograph  by  Gilbert,  Frostburg 
LOOKING  EAST  ALONG  THE  NATIONAL  PIKE  AT  "LITTLE  CROSSINGS"  (CASTLEMAN  RIVER) 
In  the  distance  can  be  seen  the  long,   steady  grade  up  Chestnut  Ridge   (Maryland) 


Noting  the  wildness  of  this  section,  even  at 
the  present  day,  it  is  not  difficult  to  imagine 
that  in  the  time  of  Gist,  Cresap,  Washington  and 
Braddock,  this  almost  primeval  mountain  wilder- 
ness was  inhabited  by  wild  animals.  Meshach 
Browning,  in  his  "Forty  Years  of  the  Life  of  a 
Hunter,"  says  that  the  country  about  Castleman 
River  was  the  best  hunting  ground  he  knew  of 
for  bear  and  deer.  That  was,  of  course,  before 
the  Pike  was  built,  and  all  that  country  was 
full  of  large  and  small  game  of  all  kinds. 

Browning  lived  near  Oakland,  on  the  Youg- 
hiogheny  and  in  his  time  killed  hundreds  of  bear 
and  deer.  In  his  "Journals,"  Gist  mentions 
killing  a  buffalo  on  his  way  from  Wills  Creek 
(Cumberland)  to  the  Ohio  in  1751,  and  of  see- 
ing a  herd  of  elk  which  he  estimated  at  thirty. 
At  another  time  he  speaks  of  searching  for  a 
suitable  night  camp,  finding  an  overhanging  rock 
ai.d  under  it  a  panther,  which  he  scared  away 
and  made  the  spot  ready  for  a  night's  repose. 
Even  now,  some  wild  animals  are  found  in  the 
more  secluded  districts  of  Western  Maryland, 
though  none  are  likely  to  be  observed  by  the  aver- 
age through  tourist  on  the  main  pike.  Wood- 
cock, gsOuse,  partridges,  turkeys  and  smaller 
game  are,  however,  common  enough  and  are  seen 
frequently  from  the   road. 

Over  Keyser's  Ridge  and  into  Pennsylvania 
From  the  long  grade  on  the  western  slope  of 
Negro  Mountain,  there  is  a  splendid  view  of 
Keyser's  Ridge,  a  bald,  bleak  range  next  beyond ; 
at  the  foot  of  the  descent  one  crosses  a  "hollow," 
at  the  bottom  of  which  is  a  stone  bridge  over 
Puzzley  Run.     Then  follows  an  upgrade  along 


the  eastern  slope  of  Ke}'ser's  Ridge,  the  last  one 
of  the  three  extreme  heights  on  this  route;  though 
there  has  been  a  succession  of  up  and  down  grades 
most  of  the  way  from  the  Cumberland  Narrows, 
the  net  rise  of  more  than  2,000  feet,  proves  the 
gradual  climb  to  the  Allegheny  summits  on  this 
route.  In  the  olden  days  this  section  was 
"snowed  up"  oftener  than  any  other  stretch  on 
the  road,  sometimes  to  a  depth  of  twenty  feet, 
stopping  stage  coaches  and  freight  wagons  for 
days  at  a  time. 

At  the  very  top  of  Keyser's  Ridge,  the  Ac- 
cident &  Oakland  Pike  branches  left  from  the 
National  Highway,  passing  through  a  very  beau- 
tiful and  interesting  country  to  Oakland,  the 
county  seat  of  Garrett  County,  making  not  only  a 
very  popular  run  from  Cumberland  and  Frost- 
burg, but  also  a  detour  fully  worth  while  for  the 
leisurely  tourist  over  the  old  pike  from  the 
East  or  West.  This  sideroad  also  opens  the  way 
to  Mountain  Lake  Park  and  Deer  Park,  fine 
little  resort  towns  in  the  glades  of  the  Al- 
leghenies,  a  few  miles  below,  and  only  about  300 
feet  lower  than  Keyser's  Ridge;  and  also  makes 
an  important  connection  into  Northern  West 
Virginia. 

There  are  fine  views  over  to  the  left;  the 
road  is  wide  and  good,  and  one  descends  a  long 
easy  grade  to  a  short  stone  bridge  over  a  tribu- 
tary of  Mill  Run,  the  last  stream  in  Maryland. 
Just  beyond  is  the  state  line,  which  is  also  the 
Mason  and  Dixon  line,  extending  across  the 
Pike  as  shown  in  the  illustration,  page  55; 
the  moderate  upgrade  in  the  background  is  the 
eastern  slope  of  Winding  Ridge,  in  reality  a  con- 
tinuation of  the  western  slope  of  Keyser's  Ridge. 


54 


On  the  right  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  sign- 
posts along  the  entire  route;  time  and  the  ele- 
ments have  partly  obliterated  the  lettering, 
though  it  is  still  possible  to  read  most  of  it. 
Originally  the  wording  on  the  east  side  was: 
"State  Line,  Penna.  34^  to  Cumberland,  to 
Frostburg  2334-"  The  larger  figures  are  still 
quite  plain,  though  the  fractions  have  become  dim. 

It  is  quite  likely  that  the  tourist  who  has  made 
this  trip  from  Baltimore  through  Frederick, 
Hagerstown,  Cumberland  and  Frostburg,  across 
the  fulHength  of  the  "old  line  state,"  will  leave 
it  with  some  regret.  With  very  few,  short  ex- 
ceptions, the  road  is  nearly  perfect  throughout; 
it  is  literally  a  highway  of  history,  and  in  the 
course  of  about  175  miles  one  traverses  a  sec- 
tion of  unusual  topographical  variety,  from  the 
levels  of  Chesapeake  Bay  to  the  three  highest 
elevations  on  the  Allegheny  Mountains  on  this 
route.  There  is  not  an  uninteresting  mile  on 
the  whole  trip,  but  a  constant  succession  of  cul- 
tivated fields,  meadows,  woods  and  mountains. 

The  student  of  road  building  will  notice  the 
large  amount  of  limestone  in  Central  and 
especially  Western  Maryland ;  engineers  and 
contractors  there  say  that  limestone  macadam 
stands  the  heavy  traffic  over  the  National  Pike 
better  than  any  other  material,  not  excepting 
concrete,  of  which  several  miles  were  laid  near 
Cumberland  in  1913.  When  warm  days  follow 
extremely  cold  weather,  melting  the  snow  and 


Photograph  Copyri-ht  J.   K.  Lacock 

LOOKING  WEST  AT  OAKTON  (ON  U.  S.  SURVEY 
SHEET)  OR  STRAWN,  PA.,  P.  O. 

The  downgrade  in  the  foreground  is  in  Maryland,  but  the 

upgrade  in  the  background  in  _  Pennsylvania.      East  and 

west  across  the  road  just  this  side  of  the  buildings 

runs  the  Mason  and  Dixon  line 


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L. 

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'                     V 

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HlHI 

1 

1 

Cl' 

■flNTO 

Aorf 

a'i 

,.   .,.,    ,,„     _    ^^ 

1^ 

i^ppp 

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T'--*- 

"m. 

TABLET  SET  INTO  THE  FACE  OF  A  LARGE  ROCK  ON 
THE  RIGHT-HAND  SIDE  OF  THE  PIKE,  A  SHORT 
DISTANCE   WEST    OF    THE    PENNSYLVANIA- 
MARYLAND    STATE    LINE.      SEE    DETAIL 
MAP,   PAGE   57 

ice,  the  water  runs  under  the  concrete;  then  very 
likely  it  freezes  and  cracks  the  concrete  so  that 
the  road  crumbles  in  the  spring.  But  a  well- 
built  limestone  road  will  not  freeze  to  a  depth 
of  more  than  two  or  three  inches,  which  is  not 
enough  to  bulge  up  and  crack  the  surface. 

Something  the  West  Owes  to  Maryland 

Before  leaving  Maryland  it  might  be  well  to 
recall  that  the  state  was  not  only  always  on 
one  of  the  great  lines  of  travel  to  the  West, 
both  by  road  and  rail,  but  that  it  was  largely 
instrumental  in  shaping  a  national  policy  favor- 
able to  the  creation  of  new  states  beyond  the 
Allegheny  Mountains  and  the  Ohio  River. 
While  one  of  the  thirteen  original  states,  and 
the  seventh  to  join,  casting  its  lot  in  with  the 
others  during  the  Revolution,  it  delayed  formally 
signing  the  confederation  of  states  until  Virginia, 
Massachusetts,  Connecticut,  New  York,  North 
Carolina  and  Georgia,  all  claiming  vast  territories 
in  the  Central  West  and  Northwest,  sur- 
rendered such  claims  to  the  United  States,  so 
that  in  time  there  might  be  created  more  free 
and    independent    commonwealths. 

When,  after  long  delays,  this  was  done,  Mary- 
land adopted  the  articles  on  January  30,  1781.  It 
seems  particularly  appropriate  that  the  one  state 
which  stood  out  so  long,  and  practically  alone, 
for  National  sovereignty  over  the  new  lands  of 
the  west  until  the  time  should  come  to  create 
states  out  of  them,  should  even  to  this  day  have 
more  than  half  of  the  mileage  between  Balti- 
more or  Washington  and  the  Ohio  River,  over  the 
National  Turnpike,  by  far  the  greatest  single 
factor  in  the  settlement  of  the  old  northwest  Ter- 
ritory, and  its  subsequent  advance  in  population, 
wealth  and  importance. 


55 


Chapter  6:     FROM  THE  MARYLAND-PENNSYLVANIA  LINE,  PAST 

FORT  NECESSITY  TO  UNIONTOWN 


MMEDIATELY  west  of  the  state 
line  mile-post,  the  old  road'  crosses 
the  interstate  boundary  or  the 
Mason-Dixon  Line  at  Oakton 
(Strawn,  Pa.,  P.  O.),  so  small  a 
place  as  hardly  to  be  noticed  at  the 
average  speed.  This  boundary  was  long  the  sub- 
ject of  dispute  between  Pennsylvania  and  Mary- 
land, the  claims  of  the  latter  being  conspicuously 
advocated  by  Col.  Thomas  Cresap,  the  pioneer 
Western  Maryland  settler.  Revolutionary  officer 
and  Indian  fighter.  The  controversy  was  finally 
settled  in  1762  by  a  decree  of  Lord  Chancellor 
Hardwicke,  in  the  case  of  William  Penn  vs.  Lord 
Baltimore,  under  which  the  present  boundary 
between  the  two  states  was  laid  out  and  marked 
by  two  English  surveyors,  Mason  and  Dixon. 

Less  than  half  mile  south  of  the  interstate 
line  at  Oakton  is  Bear  Camp,  the  site  of  Brad- 
dock's  sixth  encampment ;  and  a  short  distance 
farther  along  on  the  eastern  slope  of  Winding 
Ridge,  the  old  Braddock  Road  comes  into  the 
line  of  the  present  Pike.  This  intersection  is 
marked  by  a  very  interesting  tablet  on  the  right- 
hand  side  of  the  road;  it  is  reproduced  on  page 
55,  and  refers  to  the  trips  made  over  this 
route  by  Washington  and  Braddock  in  1753- 
54-55.  Beyond  the  tablet  the  road  continues  up 
Winding  Ridge,  which  probably  derived  its  name 
from  the  course  of  the  older  Braddock  Road  in 
this  direction  from  Bear  Camp;  at  the  top  there 
is  a  sharp  right  curve  and  then  a  descent  of 
the  western  slope,  past  an  old  stone  tavern,  on 
the  right  near  the  foot  of  the  grade.  This  build- 
ing, erected  probably  in  1819,  and  a  "wagon- 
stand"  in  the  busy  days  of  the  old  Pike,  is  now 
a  private  residence,  owned  and  occupied  by 
Edward  Augustine. 

One  is  not  long  in  Pennsylvania  without  notic- 
ing  that    the    old    Pike    in    the    Keystone    State 


is  not  crowned  as  high  as  in  Maryland.  Two 
miles  beyond  the  state  line,  we  see,  on  the  right, 
the  94-milestone  and  nearby  the  old  toll  house 
shown  in  the  illustration  page  58;  it  is  now 
the  only  one  on  the  Pennsylvania  part  of  the 
route  built  of  stone,  all  the  others  still  standing 
being  of  brick.  They  are  all  still  the  property 
of  the  Keystone  Commonwealth,  six  having  been 
authorized  by  the  legislature  by  the  act  of  April 
11,  1831,  after  the  federal  government  returned 
the  Pike  to  the  states  through  which  it  passed; 
all  were  well-built  and  the  three  yet  standing 
could  be  put  into  good  condition  at  small  ex- 
pense, in  case  the  state  should  decide  to  preserve 
them  as  relics  of  a  former  day. 

Immediately  beyond  the  toll  house  is  the  old 
and  picturesque  village  of  Addison,  formerly 
called  Petersburgh,  a  name  still  frequently  seen 
on  the  old  mile-posts.  It  is  noted  for  its  health- 
ful location  and  the  beauty  of  the  surrounding 
scenery;  and  is  a  popular  resort  for  summer 
tourists.  On  the  left-hand  or  south  side  of  the 
road  (traveling  west)  is  the  famous  brick  tavern 
opened  by  Robert  Hunter  in  1832,  and  a  popular 
stopping  place  for  one  of  the  early  lines  of  stage 
coaches,  continued  as  a  tavern  to  this  day.  Over 
to  the  right  beyond  Addison  is  another  fine  view; 
then  the  road  passes  several  well-kept  farms, 
with  long  stretches  of  whitewashed  board  fences. 
Perhaps  the  most  noted  of  all  these  farms  is 
Jasper  Augustine's,  one  and  one-quarter  miles 
from  Addison ;  the  house  was  built  on  the  site 
of  one  of  the  famous  old  taverns  and  is  sur- 
rounded by  an  estate  of  1,600  acres.  On  every 
hand  are  evidences  of  substantial  prosperity  and 
contentment,  and  in  several  instances  these 
homes  are  owned  by  descendents  of  those  who 
kept  taverns  or  drove  either  stage  coaches  or 
freight  wagons  in  the  palmy  days  of  the 
National  Road. 


56 


Now  there  is  a  long,  winding  descent  from 
an  elevation  of  slightly  over  2,000  feet  at  Addi- 
son to  about  1,412  feet  at  Somerfield,  the  next 
town,  a  distance  of  a  trifle  over  three  miles. 
From  a  sharp  left  curve  part-way  down,  the 
fertile  valley  of  the  Youghiogheny  is  seen  to 
spread  out  far  to  the  west  and  south;  next  to 
the  Monongahela,  which  we  shall  cross  at 
Brownsville,  it  is  the  largest  tributary  of  the 
Ohio  on  this  route,  rising  in  the  recesses  of  the 
mountains  in  lower  Garrett  County,  at  about 
the  tip  of  the  wedge  Maryland  drives  into  West 
Virginia.  Care  is  advised  on  the  final  descent 
into  Somerfield,  an  ancient  village,  a  partial 
view  of  which  is  shown  on  page  59.  In  the 
olden  days  this  place  was  called  Smithfield,  which 
name  still  survives  on  the  old  signposts;  but, 
probably  to  avoid  confusion  with  many  other 
variations  of  "Smith,"  the  Post  Office  Depart- 
ment renamed  it  Somerfield. 

The  most  noted  tavern  here  during  the  busy 
days  of  the  old  Pike  was  known  as  the  Endsley 
House,  a  stone  building  erected  in  1818,  the 
year  following  the  completion  of  the  road  to  this 
point,  and  for  many  years  the  headquarters  in 
this  section  for  the  Stockton  line  of  stage  coaches. 
It  still  stands  at  the  western  end  of  the  town 
near  the  banks  of  the  river,  and  is  now  the 
Youghiogheny  House,  as  shown  in  the  view  page 
59;  the  only  change  has  been  the  addition  of 
a  third  story.  Immediately  beyond,  the  high- 
way crosses  the  Youghiogheny  over  a  large  stone 
bridge,  shown  in  the  illustration  on  page  58 ; 
it  is  359  feet  in  length  and  has  three  symmetrical 
arches. 

Upon  this  bridge,  which  has  recently  been  re- 
paired by  the  Commonwealth  of  Pennsylvania, 
may  be  noticed  a  bronze  tablet,  imbedded  in  a 
sandstone  boulder,  announcing  that  a  short  dis- 
tance south  Colonel  George  Washington  crossed 
with  his  little  army  on  the  expedition  of  1754 
against  the  French  who  had  taken  possession  of 
the  "Forks  of  the  Ohio" ;  and  in  the  following 
year  Major-General   Braddock  crossed  with  his 


raph  Copyright  J.  K.  Lacock 
CLOSE    VIEW    OF    ONE    OF   THE    ORIGINAL    METAL 
MILEPOSTS,  STILL  IN  GOOD  CONDITION 

These  are  found  at  intervals  between  Cumberland  and  Wheel- 
ing, though  this  particular  one  is  near  the  Maryland- 
Pennsylvania    state   line 

army  of  English  regulars  on  his  disastrous  ex- 
pedition against  Fort  Duquesne.  On  the  opposite 
side  of  the  bridge,  imbedded  in  the  wall,  is  a 
stone  tablet  bearing  the  name  of  "Kinkead,  Beck 
&  Evans"  as  builders,  and  July  4,  1818,  as  the 
date  of  celebrating  the  opening  of  the  bridge 
to  travel  and  traffic. 

In  and  About  the  "Big  Crossings" 
The  Youghiogheny  has  three  forks  or  branches, 
the  main  stream  or  south  fork  rising  in  Preston 
County,  W.  Va.,  not  far  from  the  headwaters 
of  the  Potomac;  this  is  the  branch  crossed  by 
the  National  Turnpike  at  Somerfield,  the  others 
being  the  Castleman  River,  which  rises  in  Gar- 


57 


Photograph  Copyright  J.  K.  Lacock 

ONE  OF  THE  THREE  TOLLHOUSES  NOW  STANDING 
ON    THE    NATIONAL    TURNPIKE    IN    PENNSYL- 
VANIA, AND  THE  ONLY  ONE  BUILT 

OF    STONE 
On  the  right  just  east  of  Addison  village 

rett  County,  Maryland,  and  Laurel  Hill  Creek, 
in  Somerset  County,  Pa.,  the  three  uniting  at 
the  historic  "Turkey  Foot,"  the  present  site  of 
Confluence,  Pa.  Through  this  section  it  is  the 
boundary  between  Somerset  and  Fayette  Coun- 
ties, Pa.;  and  the  whole  district  hereabouts  is 
very  historic.  To  the  stage  coach  and  freight 
wagon  drivers  the  bridge  at  Somerfield  was  al- 
ways the  "Big  Crossings,"  to  distinguish  it  from 
the  "Little  Crossings"  of  the  Castleman  River; 
and  that  term  is  frequently  used  even  today. 

In   his   "Journals"    (1751)    Christopher   Gist 
refers  to  this  stream  as  the  "middle  fork  of  the 


Yaughaughaine,"  written  no  doubt  with  a  fair 
knowledge  also  of  the  other  two  branches.  In 
the  diary  of  his  first  trip  to  warn  the  French 
away  from  Fort  Duquesne,  with  Gist  as  guide, 
Washington  mentions  camping  at  the  "big  fork" 
of  the  same  stream.  A  few  months  later,  in 
command  of  the  Virginia  expedition  sent  by 
Governor  Dinwiddle  to  build  forts  on  the 
Monongahela  and  Ohio,  Washington,  now  lieu- 
tenant colonel,  had  so  much  difficulty  in  widen- 
ing the  Indian  path  and  building  bridges  to 
this  locality,  even  for  his  comparatively  few 
troops,  that  he  determined,  if  possible,  to  use 
the  water  route  from  approximately  the  present 
site  of  Somerfield  to  the  mouth  of  Redstone 
Creek,  where  a  primitive  trading  post  and  fort 
had  already  been  established. 

Finding  this  section  of  the  Youghiogheny  too 
wide  to  bridge  and  too  deep  to  ford,  Washing- 
ton secured  a  canoe  in  which  he  with  four  of  his 
men  and  an  Indian  made  their  way  past  the 
"Turkey  Foot,"  or  Confluence,  Pa.,  to  the  falls 
in  that  river  at  what  is  now  Ohiopyle.  Dis- 
covering that  his  expedition  could  not  be  taken 
across  or  around  the  falls,  Washington  returned 
to  the  Indian  path  as  the  only  alternative,  though 
he  considered  Confluence  a  very  strategic  loca- 
tion for  a  fort.  The  "Yough"  is  navigable  even 
now  for  only  a  few  miles  away  from  its  junc- 
tion with  the  Monongahela,  and  that  as  a  result 
of  much  later  improvements. 

The  name  Youghiogheny,  with  which  strangers 
are  likely  to  have  trouble,  has  many  interesting 
variations;  it  is  very  old  and  its  origin  is  dif- 
ficult to  ascertain,  though  tradition  says  that 
the  base  of  them  all  was  the  Indian  "Yough- 
hannie"  meaning  "four-streams,"  possibly  refer- 


Photograph  Copyright  J.  K.  Lacock 

THREE-SPAN    STONE   ARCHED    BRIDGE    OVER   THE    YOUGHIOGHENY    RIVER    AT 

SOMERFIEXD,  PA. 

In  the  olden  days  tliis  was  popularly  known  as  the  "Big  Crossings"  to  distinguish  it  from  the  bridge  across 

the  Castleman  River  ("Little  Crossings") 

S8 


Photograph  Copyright  J.  K.  Lacock 
LOOKING  EAST  ALONG  THE  MAIN  STREET  OF  SOMERFIELD,  PA.,  FROM  A  POINT 
JUST  EAST  OF  THE  YOUGHIOGHENY  RIVER 

What  is  now  the  Youghiogheny  House  was  the  "Endsley  House"  in  the  days  of  the  stage  coach 

and   freight   wagon 


ring  to  the  main  river  and  the  three  branches 
at  the  Turkey  Foot.  Others  claim  that  it  means 
a  far-flowing  or  rapidly-flowing  stream.  On  a 
map  made  in  1737  to  show  the  location  of  lands 
belonging  to  Lord  Fairfax,  mention  is  made  of 
the  "spring-heads  of  Yok-yo-gane  River,  a  south 
branch  of  the  Monongahela."  Next  it  appears 
in  Fry  &  Jefferson's  map  of  Maryland  and  Vir- 
ginia (1751)  as  Yaw-Yaw-ganey,  while  on  the 
Western  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia  map  of  1753 
the  name  "Turkey  Foot"  is  shown.  Other  varia- 
tions of  the  name  are  Yoh-w-gain  and  Yoxigeny. 
Confluence  is  only  a  few  miles  north  of  Somer- 
field,  the  nearest  place  to  it  from  our  route  over 
the  old  Pike  being  Addison,  passed  a  few  miles 
east.  The  term  "Turkey  Foot"  is  by  no  means 
extinct  now,  for  there  are  both  upper  and  lower 
townships  of  that  name;  and  the  connecting  road 
from  the  National  Highway  near  Addison  passes 
through  the  Turkey  Foot  district  to  Somerset, 
Pa.,  from  which  the  Philadelphia-Pittsburgh 
through  pike  can  be  quickly  and  easily  reached. 
Names  as  aptly  descriptive  as  the  "Turkey  Foot," 
always  have  a  good  chance  to  survive  the  wear 
of  time. 

Youghiogheny  River  to  Fort  Necessity 
Immediately  beyond  the  stone  bridge  at  Somer- 
field  the  Pike  crosses  the  Confluence  Branch  of 
the  B.  &  O.  R.  R.,  and  passes  "Gobler's  Knob," 
a  nearly  abrupt  rise  from  the  west  branch  of 
the  Youghiogheny.  Some  distance  up  from  the 
base  of  the  hill,  the  older  Braddock  Road  skirts 
this  "Knob";  evidences  of  that  road's  location 


are  quite  marked  to  this  day,  and  in  places  there 
are  well-preserved  trenches.  Then  follows  a 
level  stretch,  known  to  the  stage  coach  and  freight 
wagon  drivers  as  "Jockey  Hollow,"  where  in 
the  olden  days  horse  races  and  cock  fights  were 
frequently  held. 

About  one  mile  west  of  the  Youghiogheny  we 
go  through  the  hamlet  of  Thomasdale,  noting  an 
abandoned  mill  on  the  right ;  then  the  road  passes 
through  a  cut  which  considerably  reduces  the 
former  grade,  and  winds  part  way  up  a  series  of 
hills  to  Humberston.  On  the  left-hand  or  south 
side  of  the  road  at  this  hamlet  is  the  old 
Brown  Tavern;  it  is  a  two-story  stone  house 
built  by  Thomas  Brown  about  the  time 
the  National  Road  was  opened  for  travel. 
In  the  olden  time  it  was  a  popular  resort  for 
the  "Pike  boys"  of  the  neighborhood,  as  well  as 
for  those  who  stopped  there  on  their  trips 
through,  often  to  spend  the  long  winter  evenings 
In  dancing  and  revelry. 

Beyond  Humberston  the  pike  rises  over  Wood- 
cock Hill,  passing  through  a  "cut"  with  large, 
jagged  rocks  left  on  either  side  by  the  road- 
builders;  the  summit  was  known  in  the  olden 
days  as  "Mount  Augusta,"  from  an  old  brick 
tavern  on  the  north  side  of  the  road,  burned 
down  years  ago.  Then  the  tourist  comes 
to  an  old  stone  house;  beyond  this  is  a  very 
long  downgrade,  the  descent  on  the  three  miles 
west  of  the  "cut"  averaging  about  500  feet  to 
the  mile,  but  straight  as  an  arrow  all  the  way. 


59 


Photograph  Copyright  J.  K.  Lacock 
SITE  OF  "FORT  NECESSITY,"  WHERE  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  SURRENDERED  TO  A  SUPERIOR 
FORCE  OF  FRENCH  AND  INDIANS  ON  JULY  4,  1754 

Nothing  now  remains  of  the  crude  fort,  but  its  site   (reached  by  a  lane)    is  indicated  by  a  tablet  near  the 

three  trees  about  the  center  of  the  photograph.     On  the  crest  of  the  ridge  over  to  the  right  is  the 

National  Turnpike,  looking  west  toward  Braddock's  Grave  and  Uniontown;   tlie  large  brick 

building  on  the  extreme  right  is  the  old  Mount  Washington  Tavern 


At  the  foot  of  the  grade  a  small  stream  is 
crossed  by  a  stone  bridge,  and  one  begins  the 
ascent  into  Farmington,  meanwhile  passing  on 
the  left  the  ruins  of  the  old  McCartney  House, 
another  of  the  famous  hostelries  during  the  busy 
days  of  the  Pike.  On  the  right  at  Farmington 
is  the  Rush  Tavern,  one  of  the  most  pretentious 
of  all  the  brick  hotels  along  the  route,  erected 
in  1837  by  Hon.  Nathaniel  Ewing;  the  store 
and  post  office  occupy  a  building  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  road.  This  place  is  about  twelve 
miles  east  of  Uniontown  and  about  the  same 
west  of  Addison,  making  it  a  convenient  stop 
for  stage  coach  travelers  and  freight  wagon 
drivers. 

On  the  left,  about  one  and  one-quarter  miles 
west  of  Farmington,  we  come  to  Mount 
Washington,  a  fine  old  brick  tavern.  In 
the  olden  days  the  "Good  Intent"  line  of 
stage  coaches  stopped  here.  But  interest  in  this 
locality  goes  back  far  beyond  the  National  Turn- 
pike, for  it  was  in  the  fields  just  south  of  here 
that  George  Washington  hastily  constructed  Fort 
Necessity  when,  as  Lieutenant-Colonel  of  the 
Virginia  militia,  he  was  forced  to  give  up  Gov. 
Dinwiddle's  plan  to  erect  defences  on  the  Monon- 
gahela  and  Ohio,  and  fall  back  before  superior 
French  and  Indian  forces.  Washington,  who 
in  1753  had  made  the  trip  to  the  Forks  of  the 
Ohio  with  Gist  as  guide,  was  in  advance  of  the 
main  forces  with  150  men,  who  were  principally 
engaged  in  widening  the  Indian  path,  which  up 
to  that  time  had  been  "scarcely  broad  enough 
for  one  man."  All  this  section  was  then  a  dense 
wilderness,  traveled  only  by  a  few  white  men. 

The  main  supporting  army,  which  set  out  from 
Wills  Creek  (Cumberland)  in  command  of  Col_- 
Joshua   Fry,   was  a  long  time  coming  up,   and 
meanwhile  Gist  brought  the  news  that  Col.  Fry 


had  been  killed  by  a  fall  from  his  horse.  Wash- 
ington had  first  advanced  as  far  as  Mount  Brad- 
dock,  several  miles  north ;  but  on  account  of  his 
small  force  and  the  large  number  of  French  and 
Indians,  he  decided  to  retreat  over  the  newly 
cut  road.  Reaching  the  site  of  Fort  Necessity, 
with  his  troops  exhausted  and  in  need  of  food, 
he  found  here — in  the  southern  part  of  the 
Ligonier  Valley,  east  of  the  crest  of  Laurel  Hill 
— a  well-watered  meadow ;  and  concluded  to  wait 
reinforcements,  meanwhile  erecting  the  crude  fort 
for  protection. 

Soon  the  larger  force  of  French  and  Indians, 
in  command  of  Coulon  de  Villiers,  surrounded 
the  fort  and  opened  battle  on  July  3d.  For  nine 
hours  during  the  rainstorm,  the  colonial  troops 
stood  the  siege;  but  when  a  considerable  number 
of  the  defenders  were  killed  or  wounded,  most 
of  the  horses  and  cattle  lost  and  ammunition  be- 
came nearly  exhausted,  he,  who  was  afterward 
known  as  the  "Father  of  his  Country,"  capitu- 
lated with  the  honors  of  war,  whereupon  the  Eng- 
lish flag  was  hauled  down  and  the  French  run  up.^ 
This  was  on  July  4,  1754,  Washington's  first 
and  only  surrender,  though  in  the  Revolution 
more  than  twenty  years  later,  he  often  tasted  de- 
feat. The  tablet  which  has  been  erected  reads 
as  follows: 


This  Tablct  marks  rncjiTt  or 

FORT    NECESSITY. 

tVHUE  LlEUr.-ColONCL  GconCC  WASHINCTONmCOMMANDOr 
rOUti  HUNDRED  PROVINCiAL  TBOOCS,  ArTEB  AN  tMCAOCMENT  OF 
NINEKOUIII,  CAPITULATED  73  M.  CoULOK  DE  ViLLIERS  IN 
COHDAMO  or  NINE  HU.NDHEO  TRENCH  REGULARS  AMD  THEIR 

iNOiANALLict.  July  4th,  1754.  Colonel WASHmcTON 

LOST  30  MEN  KIUCDANO  42  WOUNDED.  CAPTAIN  MaCKCY'S 
LOJS  WAS  NEVER  REPORTED.  THE  FRENCH  HAD  TWO  MCK 
KILLED  AND  70  WOUNDED  TWO  WHEREOF  WERE  INDIANS. 

Ekctw  Juty  4th,  1808,   Undm  the  auspices  of  the 

CENTCNNUL  CCLEIfltTION  COMUITTEC  1904. 


60 


This  locality  was  then,  and  is  still  known 
as  "Great  Meadows";  it  is  well-watered  by  a 
branch  of  Big  Meadows  Run  and  some  minor 
streams,  which  no  doubt  had  much  to  do  with 
its  selection  for  defence.  From  its  headwaters 
near  the  crest  of  Laurel  Hill,  Big  Meadows  Run 
flows  southeast  to  the  site  of  the  fort  and  then 
northeast  to  the  Youghiogheny  River.  For  as 
clear  a  view  of  Fort  Necessity  as  the  limited 
space  allows,  see  the  view  on  page  60;  on  the 
extreme  right  of  that  picture  one  can  trace  the 
outlines  of  the  old  brick  tavern  at  Mount  Wash- 
ington, and  at  least  in  some  degree  also  the  course 
of  the  National  Road  toward  the  west.  In  1767, 
Washington,  always  interested  in  "western" 
lands,  acquired  over  300  acres,  embracing  the  site 
of  Fort  Necessity,  for  less  than  $100;  that  por- 
tion of  "Great  Meadows,"  including  what  was 
once  Fort  Necessity,  is  now  the  farm  of  Lewis 
Fazenbaker. 

Braddock's  army,  which  was  organized  to  ac- 
complish what  Washington's  small  Virginia 
forces  failed  to  do,  passed  westward  across  this 
section  in  1755,  by  what  is  now  known  as  the 
old  Braddock  Road,  but  did  not  stop  at  Fort 
Necessity.  It  was  no  doubt  pushing  forward 
with  the  idea  of  a  sure  victory  over  the  French 
at  Fort  Duquesne,  though  only  about  a  mile  and 
a  half  beyond  Fort  Necessity  the  Pike  comes 
alongside  Braddock's  Grave,  and  we  are  reminded 
by  the  tablet  on  the  monument,  of  which  a  view 
is  shown   on   page   62,   that   the   disaster  which 


befell  that  stubborn  English  general  was  far 
greater  than  Washington's  defeat. 

Limitations  of  space  forbid  any  extended  ref- 
erences here  to  the  Braddock  expedition;  about 
four  miles  beyond  the  grave  and  monument,  the 
old  road  the  expedition  followed  turns  north- 
west to  Mt.  Braddock,  Connellsville,  Mt.  Pleas- 
ant and  Pittsburgh,  following  a  route  largely 
abandoned  today,  though  a  number  of  traces  of 
it  still  remain.  The  English  and  Colonial 
forces  pursued  their  way  to  within  ten  miles  of 
Fort  Duquesne,  where  the  battle  of  the  Monon- 
gahela  was  fought,  resulting  in  their  defeat  by 
the  French  and  Indians.  Braddock  was  fatally 
wounded  in  the  engagement  and  died  on  the  re- 
treat, three  days  afterward ;  to  prevent  his  re- 
mains being  disturbed  he  was  hastily  buried  in  the 
middle  of  the  road,  and  Washington  read  the 
services  over  his  body  at  daylight  the  following 
morning,  July  14,   1755. 

The  exact  spot  where  Braddock  was  first  buried 
is  now  marked  by  a  tablet  a  few  rods  back  of 
the  monument,  on  the  east  side  of  Braddock 
Run.  In  1804,  when  workmen  were  engaged  in 
repairing  the  old  road,  Thomas  Faucet,  who  had 
been  in  the  retreat  of  1755,  pointed  out  the 
place ;  Braddock's  remains  were  then  taken  up, 
in  the  presence  of  Hon.  Andrew  Stewart,  of 
Uniontown,  and  re-interred  at  the  present  spot, 
at  the  foot  of  a  large  tree,  which  disappeared 
prior  to  1870.  For  a  number  of  years  the  grave 
was  enclosed  by  a  board  fence,  within  which  were 


THE    SITE    OF    FORT    NECESSITY    ("GREAT    MEADOWS"),    THE    PRESENT    NATIONAL    PIKE, 

THE    NOW    ABANDONED    BRADDOCK    ROAD,    GENERAL    TOPOGRAPHY    OF    THE 

LOCALITY,  AND  THE  POSITIONS  OF  THE  FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  FORCES 

WHICH  OVERCAME  WASHINGTON'S  EXHAUSTED  VIRGINIANS 

61 


Photograph  by  Kough,  Uniontown 
MONUMENT  AT   BRADDOCK'S    GRAVE 

a  number  of  pine  trees;  but  more  recently  the 
"General  Braddock  Memorial  Park  Association," 
composed  largely  of  people  in  Uniontown  and 
vicinity,  purchased  23  acres,  including  the  site 
of  the  grave,  and  began  plans  to  erect  a  sub- 
stantial  memorial. 

As  a  result,  the  monument  shown  on  this 
page  was  dedicated  on  October  15,  1913, 
for  which  occasion  the  English  government 
sent  a  special  delegation,  including  the  first 
British  soldiers  in  uniform  that  had  stepped 
on  the  United  States  soil  since  the  war  of 
1812.  The  shaft  is  a  fine  specimen  of  Barre, 
Vermont,  granite,  12  feet  3  inches  high,  and 
8  feet,  4  inches  square;  the  monument,  which 
weighs  25  tons  was  transported  from  Union- 
town  over  Laurel  Hill  on  trucks  drawn  by  trac- 
tion engines  and  erected  without  mishap.  On 
all  four  sides  are  inscriptions  upon  bronze  tab- 
lets S^'feet  square,  the  one  facing  the  road  read- 
ing as  follows: 

Here  Lieth  the  Remains  of 
MAJOR  GENERAL  EDWARD  BRADDOCK 
Who  in  command  of  the  44th  and  48th  regiments  of 
English  regulars  was  mortally  wounded  in  an  engage- 
ment with  the  French  and  Indians  under  the  command 
of  Captain  M.  De  Beaujeu  at  the  Battle  of  the  Monon- 
gahela  within  ten  miles  of  Fort  Duquesne,  now 
Pittsburgh,  July  9,  1755.  He  was  borne  back  with  the 
retreating  army  to  the  Old  Orchard  Camp,  about  one 
fourth  of  a  mile  west  of  this  park,  where  he  died 
July  13,  1755.  Lieutenant  Colonel  George  Washington 
read  the  burial  service  at  the  grave. 


On  the  flat,  just  west  of  Braddock  Park,  one 
may  see  the  location  of  Old  Orchard  Camp,  re- 
ferred to  in  the  tablet  and  designated  in  the  Brad- 
dock  expedition  records  as  the  "Camp  on  the  west 
side  of  Great  Meadows."  A  short  distance  be- 
yond Braddock's  Grave,  we  come,  on  the  right, 
to  the  stone  tavern  known  in  the  busy  days  of 
the  Pike  as  the  Fayette  Springs  Hotel.  This 
house  was  built  in  1822  as  a  private  residence  by 
Hon.  Andrew  Stewart,  long  Congressman  from 
the  Uniontown  district,  and  one  of  the  most 
persistent  advocates  of  the  construction  of  the 
road  at  the  time  its  constitutionality  was  de- 
bated in  Congress.  In  1824  it  was  made  a  tavern 
and  continued  as  such  until  August,  1909,  when 
the  property  was  purchased  by  George  F.  Tit- 
low,  a  prominent  hotel  man  of  Uniontown,  and 
remodeled  into  a  fine  summer  home.  On  the 
south  side  of  the  road  opposite  the  house,  may 
be  seen  the  only  original  stone  mile-stone  from 
Cumberland  to  Wheeling,  which  bears  the  fol- 
lowing inscription:  "8  M.  to  Union.;  52  to 
Cumb." 

We  continue  along  the  Pike  about  another  mile 
to  what  was  known  in  stage  coach  days  as  "Chalk 
Hill,"  though  the  U.  S.  Geological  Survey,  made 
in  1899,  does  not  give  it  an  individual  name, 
despite  the  fact  that  it  is  a  Post  Office.  There, 
on  the  right,  are  two  wooden  buildings; 
in  the  foreground  the  old  tavern,  and  just 
beyond,  the  new  one,  the  latter  (built  about 
1904)  now  known  by  the  old  name  of  the 
"Chalk  Hill  House,"  as  stated  on  the  sign  over 
the  entrance.  The  older  tavern  was  built  in  1823, 
and  in  its  time  sheltered  many  notables;  on  his 
trip  to  Washington,  the  Indian  Chief  Black- 
hawk  is  said  to  have  taken  breakfast  there,  and 
Andrew  Jackston,  escorted  by  200  people  from 
Uniontown,  stayed  there  overnight.  From  the 
earliest  days,  the  Chalk  Hill  House  was  a  famous 
eating  place,  and  is  so  to  this  day,  under  the 
management  of  W.  J.  Olwine,  who  still  has  a 
few  of  the  dishes  used  in  serving  some  of  the 
old   worthies. 

Final  Stretch  into  Uniontown 
Beyond  the  Chalk  Hill  House,  there  is  a  short 
downgrade  across  a  very  small  stream;  then  the 
route  to  Uniontown  makes  a  long  steady  ascent 
to  the  eastern  slope  of  Laurel  Hill  (that  part 
of  Chestnut  Ridge  south  of  the  Youghiogheny 
River),  the  rise  being  nearly  500  feet  in  about 
a  mile  and  a  half.  At  the  top,  on  the  left, 
is  the  Summit  Hotel,  shown  on  page  63,  one 
of  the  finest  structures  between  Baltimore  and 
.-  Wheeling.  It  stands  on  the  apex  of  the  ridge, 
at    the    edge    of    a    great    forest,    is    in    close 

62 


proximity  to  some  of  the  most  interesting  local- 
ities in  the  history  of  the  country,  and  commands 
a  magnificent  view,  including  a  considerable 
stretch  of  the  Monongahela  Valley  and  part  of  the 
famous  Connellsville  coke  region.  Here  the  tour- 
ist making  this  trip  crosses  the  most  westerly 
ridge  of  the  Alleghenies,  and  has  before  him  only 
a  series  of  minor  grades  to  the  Ohio  River. 

The  detail  map  on  page  56  shows  a  very  in- 
teresting detour,  over  a  fair  road,  from  the  sum- 
mit to  Half  King's  Rocks,  Washington  Springs 
and  Jumonville,  which  though  off  our  route,  de- 
serves at  least  a  brief  historical  reference.  "Half 
King"  was  a  Seneca  Indian  chief  who  sided  with 
the  English  as  against  the  French,  and  was  of 
great  assistance  to  Washington.  While  at  Fort 
Necessity  waiting  for  possible  reinforcements 
from  Wills  Creek  (Cumberland),  Washington 
heard  that  a  small  party  of  French  and  Indians 
under  N.  Coulon  de  Jumonville  was  scouting  in 
the  vicinity;  and  leaving  "Great  Meadows"  at 
night,  he  made  his  way  with  a  small  party  to 
Washington  Springs,  where  he  had  a  conference 
with  some  friendly  Indians,  the  result  of  which 
was  a  decision  to  make  an  immediate  attack.  He 
then  proceeded  north  perhaps  two  miles  to  the 
place  still  known  as  the  location  of  Jumonville's 
grave,  where,  on  May  28,  1754,  he  surprised  de 
Jumonville's  party,  killing  their  leader  and  sev- 
eral of  his  men,  taking  the  others  captive.  This 
engagement,  preceding  both  Washington's  capitu- 
lation at  Fort  Necessity  and  Braddock's  later 
defeat,  was  the  first  clash  of  arms  between  the 
English  and  French  for  supremacy  in  what  is  now 
our  great  Central  West. 

For  most  of  the  way  from  Frostburg  to 
Uniontown,  the  old  Pike  runs  through  what  is 
considered  today  a  quite  heavily  wooded  coun- 
try, though  of  course,  not  nearly  as  much  as 
seventy-five    or   a   hundred    years    ago.      White, 


black  and  red  oaks,  chestnut,  pine,  maple,  poplar, 
hickory  and  walnut  are  particularly  in  evidence; 
and  through  these  forests  are  many  of  the  smaller 
trees  and  bushes,  such  as  sumac,  service,  haw, 
rhododendron,  laurel,  honeysuckle,  most  of  the 
different  species  of  ferns,  and  many  kinds  of 
berries.  The  flowers  and  foliage  are  extremely 
varied  in  color,  making  nearly  every  bit  of  land- 
scape beautiful,  especially  in  the  fall,  after  a 
frost,  when  almost  any  color  of  the  rainbow  can 
be  seen  as  one  looks  in  any  direction  over  those 
noble,  historic  mountains. 

At  times  there  are  stretches  of  a  mile  or  more 
along  the  route,  often  on  only  one  side  but  fre- 
quently on  both  sides,  which  have  been  entirely 
cleared  and  made  into  fine  farms,  with 
comfortable-looking,  spacious  barns;  but  the 
greater  part  of  the  way  is  still  through  the  for- 
est, which  retains  much  of  its  primeval  beauty 
during  the  motoring  season.  The  chestnut 
groves,  and  the  profusion  of  ferns  and  wild- 
flowers  are  particularly  pleasing  to  the  leisurely 
traveler,  who  is  recommended,  insofar  as  con- 
venient, to  stop  overnight  in  the  small  villages 
along  the  route,  and  perhaps  after  the  plain,  sub- 
stantial evening  meal  usually  found  in  these 
places,  to  take  a  stroll  in  the  moonlight  among 
the   almost   invariable   romantic  surroundings. 

Immediately  opposite  the  Summit  Hotel  be- 
gins the  very  long,  winding  descent  of  the  ridge 
— over  1,200  feet  in  three  miles,  the  average  grade 
being  7  per  cent,  and  the  maximum  over  9  per 
cent.  There  is  a  succession  of  wonderful  views 
over  to  the  left  almost  all  the  way  down ;  and 
the  first-time  visitor  should  make  this  descent 
slowly  in  order  to  take  in  the  scenery  and  also 
note  a  few  points  of  interest.  At  the  right,  about 
a  mile  down  this  western  slope,  was  a  fine  rustic 
house  of  the  Mountain  Water  Club,  erected 
about  fifteen  years  ago  by  a  number  of  prominent 


LOOKING  EAST  TO  THE  CREST  OF  CHESTNUT  RIDGE,  ABOUT  SIX  MILES   EAST  OF 
UNIONTOWN,  PA.;  SUMMIT  HOTEL  ON  THE  RIGHT,  OR  SOUTH  SIDE  OF  THE  ROAD 

This  view  is  typical  of  tlie  excellent  state  of  the  Old   National   Highway   for  about  two-thirds  of  the   way 

between    Baltimore   and   Wheeling 

63 


WIDE,  SAFE  TURN  ON  THE  NATIONAL  PIKE  IN  FRONT  OF  THE  UPPER  WATERING  TROUGH 
ON  THE  WEST  SLOPE  OF  LAUREL  HILL  OR  CHESTNUT  RIDGE 

Formerly  the  location  of  a  famous  road-house.     The  opening  of  stone,  near  wTiere  the  men  and  woman  are 
standing,  is  a  roasting  oven,  much  used  before  the  nearby  Water  Mountain  Club  House  was  burned. 


Uniontown  people,  who  later  built  a  large  oven 
on  the  eastern  side  of  it,  so  that  they  might  fre- 
quently entertain  their  friends  with  an  ox,  pig, 
or  lamb  roast.  The  club  house  was  subsequently 
destroyed  by  fire;  in  front  of  where  it  stood,  is 
the  73d  milestone  from  Wheeling  (or  58th  from 
Cumberland),  and  almost  alongside  is  the  "upper 
watering  trough."  A  comparatively  new  cement 
watering  trough,  built  in  1906,  supplies  an 
abundance  of  pure  mountain  water  to  the  thirsty 
tourist. 

Unusual  Type  of  Bridge 

Still  further  down,  our  road  crosses  a  small 
stream  which,  owing  to  the  peculiar  formation 
of  the  ground,  required  the  erection  of  a  bridge, 
supported  by  a  massive  stone  wall  shown  on 
page  65.  This  is  a  romantic  and  picturesque 
spot,  locally  and  traditionally  known  as  the 
"Turkey's  Nest,"  named  possibly  from  the  sim- 
ple incident  of  the  discovery  of  a  wild  turkey's 
nest  by  workmen  at  the  time  it  was  built,  but 
more  probably  because  of  its  large  circular  form. 
Not  far  beyond,  the  road  comes  to  a  fairly  level 
spot  and  passes  the  fine  estate  of  J.  R.  Barnes, 
along  which  there  is  a  low  but  long  stone  fence ; 
Mr.  Barnes  macadamized  1,000  feet  of  the  Pike 
past  his  property. 

We.  are  now  in  Hopwood,  called  Monroe  in 
stage  coach  days — laid  off  in  the  National  Road 
and  named  in  honor  of  the  fifth  president  of 
the  U!nited  States;  on  either  side  of  the  street 
will  be  noticed  a  half  dozen  old  stone  houses,  all 
once  used  as  taverns.  Monroe,  being  just  at 
the  foot  of  the  mountain,  was  a  favorite  stopping 
place,  especially  for  the  freighters:  at  one  time 
there  were  seven  licensed  hotels  and  three  or  four 
others,  all  usually  crowded  to  their  capacity. 


After  a  level  stretch,  in  the  course  of  which 
we  cross  a  small  stream,  there  is  a  considerable 
upgrade,  which  until  two  years  ago,  when  the 
road  was  rebuilt,  was  the  heaviest  grade  on  the 
pike  between  Cumberland  and  Wheeling.  After 
ascending  this,  there  is  considerable  downgrade 
to  the  eastern  edge  of  Uniontown,  and  a  choice 
of  two  ways  in;  keep  straight  ahead  past  a  large 
yellow  brick  school  on  the  right,  to  Main  Street 
and  turn  left  to  the  center  of  one  of  the  most 
noted  places  along  the  National  Highway.  Con- 
tinuing west  along  Main  Street  we  cross  at 
grade  the  B.  &  O.  R.  R.  (a  connecting  line  be- 
tween the  Pittsburgh  division,  at  Connellsville, 
and  Morgantovvn,  W.  Va.),  and  come  to  the 
Fayette  County  Court  Hlouse,  prominently  on 
the  right  just  east  of  the  business  center;  in 
the  yard  of  the  Sheriff's  residence,  on  the  west 
side  of  the  Court  House,  is  a  tablet,  visible 
from  Main  Street,  erected  to  mark  the  location  of 
Beeson's  blockhouse,  erected  in  the  very  early 
days  of  Uniontown,  but  never  used. 

Just  beyond  is  a  crossing  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Railroad  (southwest  branch  Pittsburgh  division), 
and  then  on  the  right  one  may  notice  the  old  mile- 
stone bearing  the  inscription :  "63  to  Cumber- 
land; to  Smithfield  (now  Somerfield)  22;  68 
to  Wheeling;  to  Brownsville  12." 

At  the  next  corner,  rising  higher  than  any 
of  the  surrounding  structures,  is  the  First  Na- 
tional Bank  Building — containing  500  rooms, 
-  and  said  to  be  the  largest  building  in  any  town 
of  its  size  in  the  country — in  which  is  located  the 
office  of  the  Automobile  Club  of  Fayette  County. 
Uniontown  is  a  commercial  and  financial  center 
for  the  coal  and  coke  industries  in  its  section 
"  of     Pennsylvania,     these     developments     having 


64 


brought  wealth  to  this  prosperous  town, 
which  now  has  a  population  of  about  15,000. 
Its  history  is  closely  related  to  that  of  the  Old 
Pike,  8,420  feet  of  which  are  within  its  limits, 
and  kept  in  good  condition  by  the  municipality. 

The  National  Road  was  completed  from  Cum- 
berland to  Wheeling  in  1818;  and  Uniontown — 
almost  exactly  half-way  between  them — became 
at  once  a  very  important  point  for  travel  and 
transportation.  What  then  required  a  day  to 
cover,  especially  with  a  heavily  laden  freight 
wagon,  can  now  be  done  in  little  more  than  an 
hour  by  automobile ;  from  Cumberland  to  Wheel- 
ing has  become  a  comfortable  day's  run,  with 
Uniontown  the  most  convenient  noon  stop.  Few 
places  of  its  size  have  as  ample  and  good  hotel 
accommodations — an  inheritance,  at  least  in  part, 
from  the  time  when  its  main  thoroughfares  were 
almost  crowded  with  stage  coaches,  whose  pas- 
sengers alighted  well  prepared  for  the  plain  but 
substantial  meals  the  old  taverns  almost  invari- 
ably served. 

Within  the  city  limits  the  identity  of  the  Pike 
is  partially  lost  in  Main  Street,  which  is  well- 
paved  and  takes  the  tourist  through  the  busi- 
ness center,  as  well  as  past  the  principal  hotels 
and  nearby  the  best  garages.  But,  different  from 
our  observations  in  the  smaller  towns  along  the 
route,  none  of  the  hotels  now  catering  for  tran- 
sient business  in  Uniontown  are  as  they  were 
in  the  olden  days,  for  all  are  practically  modern. 
Perhaps  it  may  be  worth  while  to  refer  briefly 


to  some  of  these  places  before  starting  on  the 
last  stage  of  our  trip  to  the  Ohio  River. 

Opposite  the  Court  House  is  the  old  Fulton 
House,  now  known  as  the  Altman  House;  the 
lot  on  which  this  hotel  stands  was  occupied  by 
a  tavern  as  early  as  1784.  Seth  Howell,  known 
as  "Flinger"  Howell,  erected  a  brick  hotel  here 
in  1828;  the  building  has  been  enlarged  and 
conducted  by  various  owners  as  a  tavern  ever 
since. 

Half-way  down  Main  Street,  on  the  right, 
where  Beeson  Avenue  crosses,  stands  the  old 
Walker  House,  now  known  as  the  Central  Hotel. 
This  was  a  popular  hostelry  in  the  early  days, 
a  tavern  having  stood  on  this  lot  as  early  as 
1784.  Zadoc  Walker  built  the  house  in  1816; 
among  his  distinguished  guests  were  the  Marqui". 
de  Lafayette,  Hon.  Albert  Gallatin,  General 
Santa  Anna  and  William  Henry  Harrison.  It 
has  been  greatly  enlarged  and  presents  little  of 
its  original  appearance. 

The  next  hotel  identified  with  the  history  of 
the  old  pike  is  the  McClelland  House,  on  the 
right,  just  west  of  the  First  National  Bank  build- 
ing. Before  the  advent  of  the  National  Road,  a 
tavern  was  opened  in  a  frame  building  here  by 
William  McClelland,  and  known  as  the  "Spread 
Eagle."  His  son,  Alfred  McClelland,  erected  a 
two-story  brick  hotel  building  on  the  site  of  the 
frame  one  in  1837,  and  it  has  been  conducted  as 
a  hotel,  without  change  of  name,  ever  since.    It 


THE   CURVE   AND    SOLID    STONE    BRIDGE   ACROSS    A    SMALL    STREAM    ON   THE   WESTERN 

SLOPE  OF  CHESTNUT  RIDGE,   KNOWN  AS   THE   "TURKEY'S    NEST" 

This  bridge  is  as  substantial  as  when  it  was  built   (1818) 

>  65 


Oak  Grove +^  t 
ToMasonto,ivn 


.   Hotel  Titlow 

2  Mc  Clelland  House 

3  The  Brunswick 

4  West  End 

5  Altman  House 

6  Old  white  Swan  Tavern 

7  Site  of  National  House 
a  popular  old  tImeTavern, 
sceneofa  famous  mail  robbery 

8  WalkerHouse 


DETAILTHROUGH 

UNIONTOWN 


UXIOXTOWX,  ALWAYS  CLOSELY  IDENTIFIED  WITH  THE  NATIONAL  TURNPIKE,  WAS 

PARTICULARLY  NOTED  FOR  THE  NUMBER  AND  EXCELLENCE  OF  ITS 

HOTELS  IX  THE  OLDEN  DAYS 


was  well  patronized  in  the  days  of  the  old  pike, 
and  many  noted  people  were  guests  at  this  house. 
Nearly  opposite  the  McClelland  House,  and 
a  little  west,  was  the  old  Ewing  McCleary 
tavern,  which  commenced  business  in  1819;  this, 
too,  has  been  conducted  as  a  hotel,  under  dif- 
ferent managements,  ever  since.  It  has  been 
greatly  enlarged,  and  is  now  known  as  the  Bruns- 
wick. On  the  corner  diagonally  opposite  to  the 
Brunswick,  is  the  hotel  built  by  James  Seaton 
in  1814,  and  known  as  the  "Black  Horse"  tavern. 
This  was  a  popular  hotel,  and  has  been  con- 
ducted as  such  ever  since;  greatly  enlarged,  it 
is  now  known  as  "The  West  End."  On  the 
right,  almost  immediately  beyond,  is  the  Hotel 
Titlow,  a  modern  hotel,  conducted  on  the  Euro- 
pean plan. 

An  Ancient  Landmark 

The  old  "White  Swan"  tavern  still  stands 
on  the  left,  near  the  west  end  of  Main  Street; 
it  was  a  log  building,  and  would  make  a  sorry 
sight  as  a  hotel  of  today.  Opened  as  a  tavern 
by  Thomas  Brownfield  in  1805,  it  never  felt 
the  decorating  hand  of  the  painter,  though  it 
was  known  for  its  good  meals  throughout  the 
length  of  the  old  pike.  Mr.  Brownfield  had 
been  a  wagoner  on  the  old  Braddock  Road  be- 
for    the    construction    of    the    National    Road ; 


Nathaniel  Brownfield  succeeded  his  father,  and 
continued  the  business  until  1895,  after  a  con- 
tinuous run  of  ninety  years. 

Any  tourist  desiring  to  look  over  one  of  the 
old  taverns  while  a  few  of  the  real  type  remain, 
can  locate  the  old  White  Swan  by  reference  to 
the  map.  It  stands  close  to  the  street,  and  is 
most  quickly  identified  by  the  strange  contrast 
with  its  surroundings.  If  the  occupants  are 
agreeable  to  an  inspection,  it  will  be  especially 
interesting  to  look  over  the  bar-room,  fireplace 
and  upstairs  bedrooms.  Back  of  the  tavern,  and 
open  from  the  street,  is  a  typical  spacious  wagon 
yard  of  the  olden-time,  paved  with  stone,  as  was 
the  custom  to  secure  a  hard  surface.  Alongside 
the  barn  is  probably  the  best  preserved  of  old- 
fashioned  pumps  along  the  Pike. 

The  National  House  was  a  three-story  brick 
building  erected  as  a  private  residence  on  the 
west  side  of  Morgantown  Street,  at  the  corner 
of  Fayette.  In  1832,  Dr.  John  F.  Braddee  pur- 
chased this  property,  and  in  this  building  was 
committed  one  of  the  greatest  robberies 
ever  perpetrated  in  the  United  States.  Mr.  L. 
W.  Stockton,  manager  of  the  National  Stage 
Coach  Company,  purchased  this  house  in  1841; 
and  under  different  managements  it  was  con- 
ducted as  the  National  House  until  traffic  was 
withdrawn  from  the  old  road. 


66 


Chapter  7:     UNIONTOWN  THROUGH  BROWNSVILLE  TO 

WASHINGTON,  PA. 


NIONTOWN,  the  first  place  of 
importance  west  of  the  Alleghany 
Mountains  on  this  route,  is  a  small 
but  very  enterprising  and  prosper- 
ous city,  depending  now  as  for 
nearly  100  years  past  largely  upon  the  National 
Pike  for  direct  connections  East  and  West.  Both 
the  Pennsylvania  and  Baltimore  &  Ohio  R.  R. 
systems  have  built  into  Uniontown  from  the 
north ;  but  there  is  not  a  mile  of  railway  between 
Frostburg  and  Washington,  Pa.,  anywhere  near 
parallel  to  the  old  short-line  highway.  Indeed, 
it  is  difficult  for  the  railway  traveler  of  today 
to  make  the  trip  east  from  Uniontown  to  Cum- 
berland or  west  to  Washington,  without  con- 
siderably exceeding  the  normal  time  required  to 
motor  to  either  of  those  cities. 

Resuming  the  trip,  continue  out  West  Main 
Street  crossing  a  stone  bridge  and  the  track 
of  the  Coal  Lick  Run  Branch  of  the  Southwest 
Pennsylvania  R.  R. ;  at  the  west  end  of  Main 
Street,  on  the  right,  situated  on  a  beautiful 
knoll,  and  facing  the  town,  will  be  observed 
what  was  the  residence  of  L.  W.  Stockton.  This 
old  mansion  was  erected  by  Jacob  Beeson,  one 
of  the  founders  of  the  town,  in  1785-86,  and  be- 
came the  property  of  Daniel  Moore,  father-in- 
law  of  Mr.  Stockton.  The  latter  gave  this 
place  the  name  of  "Ben  Lomond" ;  here  was  his 
home  prior  to  1824,  and  until  his  death,  April  25, 
1844.  This  mansion  became  the  property  of 
Hon.  Samuel  A.  Gilmore  in  1855,  and  is  still 
owned  and  occupied  by  his  descendants. 

Immediately  beyond  the  railroad,  the  trolley 
leaves  to  the  left,  while  the  Pike  keeps  straight 
ahead,  upgrade  past  a  number  of  fine  residences. 
Over  to  the  left  is  the  Uniontown  Hospital,  and 
just  beyond,  also  on  the  left,  we  pass  Oak 
Grove  Cemetery,  where  we  can  see  from  the 
street  the  grave  of  Thomas  B.  Searight,  author 
of  "The  Old  Pike,"  already  referred  to  several 
times  in  this  series.  A  floral  design  of  a  mile- 
stone marked  his  grave  for  awhile,  until  it  faded. 
Mr.  Searight  spent  practically  his  whole  life 
along  the  National  Road,  and  wrote  largely  from 
the  personal,  human  side,  as  no  historian  of  the 
present  day  could  hope  to  do.  No  other  work  on 
the  subject  gives  so  great  an  insight  into  the 
Old  Pike  days;  the  book  is  now  practically  out 
of  print,  though  available  in  most  large  libraries. 
At  his  request,  Mr.  Searight  was  buried  as  close 
as  possible  to  the  old  road  he  had  studied  so  long 


and  known  so  well.  West  of  the  cemetery  are 
several  more  fine  homes. 

On  the  left  a  short  distance  beyond,  is  seen 
the  County  Home,  just  before  the  Pike  curves 
right,  downgrade  to  cross  a  small  bridge  over 
Jennings'  Run,  where  General  Lafayette  and 
Hon.  Albert  Gallatin  met  at  the  time  of  the 
General's  visit;  and  then  ascends  a  correspond- 
ing grade  on  the  western  side  of  the  stream.  It 
is  worth  while  to  keep  a  lookout,  on  the 
right  about  a  mile  farther  on,  for  the  iron 
mile-post  which  gives  at  the  top  the  dis- 
tance to  Cumberland  and  Wheeling,  and  below 
that  the  mileage  to  fairly  important  places  within 
a  radius  of  not  more  than  ten  or  fifteen  miles. 
Most  of  these  metal  posts  are  still  standing;  and 
this  particular  one,  "66  to  Cumberland ;  to  Union- 
town  3;  65  to  Wheeling;  to  Brownsville  9,"  is 
quite  commonly  known  as  the  "Half-way  Stone." 

By  this  time  the  tourist  who  has  come  from 
Baltimore,  Frederick  or  Hagerstown  probably 
begins  to  miss  the  mountains;  but  only  rolling 
lands  or  plateaus  are  traversed  the  balance  of 
the  way  to  the  Ohio  River.  Pass  through  the 
small  village  of  Haddenville,  a  short  distance  be- 
yond which  is  the  first  mining  camp  along  the 
road  since  leaving  the  Frostburg,  Md.,  district; 
and  beyond  that  an  old  brick  toll  house,  in  form 
and  structure  like  the  others  west  of  the  moun- 
tains. 

The  next  point  of  importance  is  the  Searight 
home,  a  large  stone  building  on  the  north  side 
of  the  road  about  half-way  between  Uniontown 
and  Brownsville;  it  was  built  by  Josiah  Frost 
about  the  time  the  National  Road  was  con- 
structed and  acquired  by  William  Searight  in 
1821.  Located  at  an  important  cross-road,  this 
was  in  the  olden  time  one  of  the  noted  taverns 
along  the  road—- not  only  a  popular  place  for 
social  activities,  but  also  a  sort  of  political  center 
for  Uniontown,  Connellsville  and  Brownsville. 
The  original  William  Searight  was  road  com- 
missioner on  the  old  Pike  for  many  years;  at  his 
death  his  son,  Ewing  Searight,  came  into  posses- 
sion of  the  property,  and  rented  it  to  various  per- 
sons who  conducted  a  tavern,  and  ran  it  two  years 
himself.  HSs  son,  William,  used  it  as  a  private 
residence  until  his  death ;  it  is  now  owned  by 
Searight  McCormick,  a  grandson  of  Ewing  Sea- 
right, and  occupied  as  a  private  residence. 

Prominently  on  the  right-hand  side,  slightly 
less    than    two   miles    beyond    Searight's,    is    the 


67 


A   GLANCE   ALONG   WEST   MAIN    STREET, 
UNIONTOWN 

Showing  a  long  stretch  of  brick  laid  by  owners  of  property 

alongside.     Heavy  telegraph  poles  have  been  erected 

over  a  great  part  of  the  old  road 

Johnson-Hatfield  stone  house,  which  was 
built  in  1817  and  continued  as  a  tavern 
until  1855,  a  long  time  after  travel  over  the 
old  road  began  to  decline.  As  a  private  residence 
it  is  still  a  fine  specimen  of  the  skill  of  the  work- 
men a  century  ago,  and  of  the  substantial  manner 
in  which  these  old  places  were  built. 

On  the  left  or  south  side  of  the  road,  about 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  beyond  the  Johnson- 
Hatfield  house,  is  the  old  Peter  Colley  tavern, 
a  stone  house.  This  was  built  in  1796, 
considerably  before  the  National  Pike  was 
put  through  this  section;  and  the  old 
proprietor  is  said  to  have  grown  rich  through 
the  patronage  of  his  place.  Just  west  of  the 
Peter  Colley  stand  was  formerly  a  steep  descent, 
where  stage  coaches  traveling  east  in  the  olden 


days  had  to  be  assisted  by  a  "postilion"  (single 
horse  and  rider)  ;  but  a  fill  of  about  17  feet  has 
made  it  fairly  level. 

Now  the  old  highway  passes  between  two 
artificial  reservoirs  and  through  Brier  Hill,  a 
town  of  1,400  people  on  the  Monongahela  Rail- 
road, with  one  of  the  largest  single  coke  plants 
in  the  Connellsville  region ;  this  is  the  only  coke 
plant  of  importance  on  our  route,  that  industry 
being  centered  mostly  in  the  district  north  of 
the  Pike.  Davidson,  as  shown  on  the  U.  S. 
Geological  Survey  maps,  was  a  country  Post  Of- 
fice located  one  mile  west  of  Brier  Hill;  but 
when  the  latter  town  was  built,  twelve  years  ago, 
Davidson  post  office  was  closed  and  a  new  one 
opened  at  Brier  Hill. 

Beyond  Brier  Hill  the  road  makes  a  consider- 
able ascent,  from  the  top  of  which  there  is  a 
fine  view;  then  the  way  is  direct  past  a  com- 
fortable-looking old  stone  house  on  the  right 
which,  while  not  to  be  classed  with  the  celebrated 
old  taverns  in  this  section,  was  kept  as  such  at 
intervals  during  the  prosperous  era  of  the  road. 
Diagonally  across  the  highway,  a  trifle  farther 
on,  is  a  wooden  building,  known  in  the  olden 
days  as  the  "Red  Tavern,"  from  its  color  at  that 
time.  Three-quarters  of  a  mile  beyond,  but  some- 
what back  from  the  road,  is  the  stone  building 
known  as  the  Brown  Tavern,  once  kept  by  a 
member  of  the  family  that  founded  Brownsville. 

Next  one  notices  a  cemetery  on  the  left  and 
almost  directly  opposite  an  old  time  brick  hotel 
known  as  "Brubaker's,"  a  very  popular  and  well- 
patronized  resort  for  wagoners,  as  distinguished 
from  the  stop-over  places  for  stage  coaches,  which 
had  their  important  stations  for  this  section  at 
Brownsville.  Daniel  Brubaker  purchased  the 
property  in  1826,  survived  the  business  era  of 
the  National  Road  and  died  in  his  old  tavern. 
Just  beyond  this  place  we  pass  through  the  little 
village  of  Sandy  Hollow,  where — over  to  the 
left — there  opens  up  a  fine  view  of  the  Monon- 
gahela River  and  its  wide  valley,  with  Browns- 


Scale  of  Miles 

I  2  3 

I 1  I 1 


68 


ville  and  its  adjacent  villages  nestling  alongside 
the  stream. 

Immediately  the  Pike  starts  to  wind  down  the 
steepest  grade  since  Laurel  Hill,  east  of  Union- 
town,  shortly  making  a  square  left  turn  (see  map 
page  70)  in  front  of  what  is  now  the  New 
Girard  Hotel,  where  Henry  Clay  and  General 
Jackson  were  entertained,  into  Market  Street, 
Brownsville.  On  the  right,  just  beyond,  is  the 
old  stone  tavern  known  in  the  olden  days  as  the 
Brashears  House,  where  General  Lafayette  once 
stopped;  in  front  of  this  place  is  still  the 
old  milestone,  "75  to  Cumberland;  to  Union- 
town  12;  56  to  Wheeling;  to  Centerville  6." 
Between  three-tenths  and  four-tenths  of  a  mile 
beyond.  Market  Street  bends  to  the  left,  com- 
ing quite  close  to  the  Monongahela;  the  descent 
in  the  last  two  miles  is  about  300  feet,  which 
should  be  taken  with  care,  especially  at  night. 

Looking  over  to  the  left  at  a  prominent  point 
not  far  from  the  river,  just  before  coming  to 
the  business  center,  the  tourist  is  probably  at- 
tracted by  "Nemacolin  Castle,"  a  fine  large 
residence,  now  occupied  by  Mr.  Charles  Bow- 
man, and  erected  by  his  ancestors.  No  doubt  it 
was  named  in  honor  of  Nemacolin,  the  Delaware 
Indian  pathfinder;  some  claim  that  it  is  on  the 
site  of  his  cabin,  which  was  known  to  have  been 
near  the  junction  of  Dunlap's  ( formerlyNema- 
colin)  Creek  and  the  Monongahela,  but  proof  is 
entirely  lacking.  The  known  facts  are  that  in 
1759  Capt.  James  Burd  settled  on  this  site  and 
dug  a  well,  which  is  still  preserved.  This  was 
also  the  location  of  Redstone  Old  Fort,  one  of 
the  most  important  early  military  defenses  of 
the  Monongahela  country.  From  the  vicinity  of 
the  "Castle"  an  especially  fine  view  is  had  of 
the  river  and  valley. 

Brownsville  and  Vicinity 
This  old  city  was  one  of  the  earliest  settle- 
ments in  the  "western  country,"  having  been  on 
the  trail  originally  laid  out  by  Nemacolin  from 
Winchester,  Va.,  through  Old  Town,  Md.,   to 


rnotograpn  t^opyngni  j.  /v.  t.ncocR 

THE  FAMOUS  SEARIGHT  HOUSE,  AT  A  PROMINENT 

CROSS-ROAD    SIX   MILES   WEST   OF 

UNIONTOWN 

Long    the    residence    of    the    Searights,    one    of    the    most 
noted  families  of  tavern  keepers  on  the  National  Road 


the  Ohio  in  1749;  and  not  long  afterward  a 
storehouse  was  built  by  the  Ohio  Company  at 
the  mouth  of  Redstone  Creek,  near  its  junction 
with  the  Monongahela,  about  a  mile  north  of 
Dunlap's  Creek.  Brownsville  was  the  first  point 
where,  after  the  long  trip  over  the  mountains  by 
stage  coach,  navigation  could  be  resumed  for 
Pittsburgh,  Steubenville,  Wheeling  and  west; 
and  although  the  distance  around  by  water  was 
several  times  that  over  the  National  Road  to- 
day, before  the  improvement  of  the  latter  a  great 
deal  of  travel  and  transportation  followed  that 
roundabout  course.  For  many  years  Brownsville 
was  the  head  of  navigation  on  the  Monongahela; 
and  during  the  busy  days  of  the  old  Pike,  it  was 
an  interior  port  of  great  importance.  Naturally, 
it  became  also  a  popular  stopping  and  transfer 
point  for  travelers,  and  there  were  several 
famous  hotels;  the  principal  one  today  is  the 
Monongahela,  in  the  downtown  business  center, 
occupying  the  site  of  an  older  one  of  the  same 
name. 

The  strategic  location  of  Brownsville  appealed 
strongly  to  the  commissioners  who  were  appointed 
by  Congress  to  lay  out  the  National  Road,  being 
defined  in  their  report  of  December  30,  1806,  as 


69 


Photograph  Copyright  J.  K.  Lacock 
AN   INTERESTING  RELIC  OF  THE  PAST— THE  OLD   COVERED   BRIDGE  ACROSS 
THE  MONONGAHELA  RIVER  AT   BROWNSVILLE 
Opened  in   1833  and  in  constant  use  to   1910 


a  "point  on  the  Monongahela  best  calculated  to 
equalize  the  advantages  of  the  shortest  practic- 
able portage  between  the  Potomac  and  the  Ohio." 
Again  they  referred  to  it  as  "equally  distant 
from  Beaver  Creek  (a  tributary  of  the  Ohio  above 
Pittsburgh)  and  Fishing  Creek  (the  first  north- 
ward-flowing water  west  of  Big  Savage  Moun- 
tain in  Maryland),  convenient  to  all  crossing 
places  of  the  Ohio  between  these  extremes.  As 
a  port  it  is  at  least  equal  to  any  on  the  Monon- 
gahela, and  holds  superior  advantages  in  furnish- 
ing supplies  to  emigrants,  traders  and  other 
travelers  by  land  and  water." 

Resuming  the  trip,  pass  through  the  downtown 
business  center,  crossing  the  bridge  over  Dunlap's 
Creek  shown  on  map  above;  this  was  the  first 
cast  iron  bridge  built  across  any  stream  west 
of    the    Allegheny    Mountains,    notwithstanding 


which  it  is  solid  and  in  excellent  condition  today. 
It  is  still  the  only  highway  between  Brownsville 
and  that  part  of  South  Brownsville  formerly 
known  as  Bridgeport,  the  latter  laid  out  in  1794, 
and  incorporated  by  an  act  of  Assembly,  March 
9,  1814.  In  the  early  days  of  the  old  road, 
Bridgeport  had  a  number  of  industries,  but  most 
of  these  have  long  ceased  to  exist;  here  also 
were  two  wagon  stands  or  resorts  for  freight 
wagon  drivers  in  the  busy  days  of  the  Pike,  while 
the  stage  coaches  stopped  at  the  more  pretentious 
places  in  Brownsville.  Some  believe  that  Nema- 
colin's  cabin  was  near  this  point;  most  likely  it 
would  have  been  near  a  spring,  and  could  be 
overlooked  from  the  present  iron  bridge.  Neither 
early  surveys,  history  nor  tradition  appears  to 
locate  precisely  where  the  cabin  stood ;  there  is 
now  no  vestige  of  it. 


Continue  straight  ahead  past  the  National  De- 
posit Bank  on  the  corner,  turning  right  between 
two  brick  buildings  into  Bridge  Street,  which 
leads  to  the  new  steel  bridge  across  the  river. 
This  is  one  of  the  most  historic  crossings  on  the 
old  Pike;  and  notable  as  having  been  the  only 
place  where  the  federal  government  did  not  build 
its  own  bridge  to  carry  the  National  Road  across. 
In  the  olden  days  all  travel  and  traffic  was  by 
ferries;  but  in  March,  1830,  about  the  time  when 
control  of  the  Pike  lapsed  back  to  the  States 
through  which  it  passes,  the  Monongahela 
Bridge  Co.  was  incorporated,  with  a  capital  stock 
of  $44,000.  The  contract  price  for  the  old 
bridge  shown  on  page  70  was  $32,000,  with 
$5,000  additional  for  the  approaches. 

It  was  a  wooden  structure  630  feet  long,  and 
had  three  spans;  formally  opened  on  October  14, 
1833,  it  was  continued  as  a  toll  bridge  until  Sep- 


but  of  course  the  great  bulk  of  it  is  from  mines 
farther  north,  toward  Pittsburgh. 

There  is  an  element  of  historic  or  romantic 
interest  attached  to  the  Monongahela  business, 
as  it  was  one  of  the  first  coal  fields  developed 
in  the  soft  coal  regions  on  anything  like  an  ex- 
tensive basis.  The  development  was  largely  made 
possible  through  the  activities  of  a  corporation 
known  as  the  Monongahela  Navigation  Co., 
which  built  locks  and  dams  along  the  stream  so 
as  to  afford  navigation  facilities.  The  coal  thus 
shipped  out  was  used  not  only  at  Pittsburgh,  but 
largely  also  at  Cincinnati,  Louisville,  Memphis 
and  other  places  down  to  New  Orleans  before 
railroad  facilities  along  modern  lines  and  the 
development  of  other  newer  fields  brought  about 
more  active  competition. 

At  present  the  aggregate  business  amounts  to 
about  12,000,000  tons  annually;  though  large,  it 


Photograph  Copyright  J,  K.  Lacock 

VIEW  OF  THE  WINDING  MONONGAHELA,   FROM  THE  HEIGHTS  ABOUT  A   MILE  WEST 

OF  BROWNSVILLE 


tember,  1910,  when  it  was  condemned  by  the  War 
Department,  and  a  steam  cable  ferry  started  to 
take  its  place.  On  October  8,  1914,  the  new 
bridge  was  opened  for  traffic  and  the  ferry 
again  disappeared — probably  for  all  time,  unless 
revived  in  some  unforeseen  emergency.  Gover- 
nor Tener  and  staff  attended  the  dedication  of 
the  present  structure. 

In  crossing,  one  has  a  good  view  of  the 
Monongahela  on  both  sides  of  the  bridge;  it  is 
a  typically  western  river,  more  like  the  Ohio 
and  the  Mississippi  than  any  of  our  eastern 
streams.  The  name  Monongahela  is  said  to  be 
derived  from  the  Shawnese,  and  to  mean  "Falling- 
in-bank  river."  Despite  the  great  progress  in 
rail  transportation,  this  stream  is  still  a  consider- 
able factor  in  the  coal  trade.  Shipments  are 
made  from  as  far  south  as  Fairmont,  W.  Va., 


is  not  relatively  so  important  as  years  ago. 
While  the  old  mines  that  remain  are  small  in 
comparison  with  the  newer  plants,  big  money  was 
made  by  half  a  dozen  Pittsburgh  operators,  par- 
ticularly before  the  war,  when  the  Southerners 
were  prosperous,  and  a  dollar  a  ton  extra  or 
so  on  coal  did  not  make  much  difference.  There 
are  now  in  some  cases  two  railroads  along  the 
Monongahela,  and  practically  every  important 
mine  has  a  rail  connection.  Consequently,  the 
river  business  has  been  shorn  of  its  glory;  in 
fact,  it  began  to  decline  to  a  serious  extent  as 
regards  relative  importance  20  or  25  years  ago. 
After  some  agitation,  the  government  bought  out 
the  Monongahela  Navigation  Co.,  thus  afford- 
ing free  use  of  the  river;  even  this,  however, 
did  not  offset  the  growing  advantage  of  rail  con- 
nections. 


71 


On  the  west  side  of  the  bridge  we  cross  the 
Monongahela  Branch  of  the  Pennsylvania  Rail- 
road at  grade,  and  turn  square  left  in  front  of 
an  old  hotel,  now  used  in  part  as  a  Post  Office; 
this  is  West  Brownsville,  which,  with  South 
Brownsville  and  Brownsville  are  often  referred 
to  locally  as  "the  three  towns."  West  Browns- 
ville was  laid  out  in  1831  and  incorporated  in 
1849;  the  tract  of  land  on  which  it  is  situated 
was  called  "Indian  Hill"  and  embraces  Krepp 
Knob,  ^a  U.  S.  triangulation  station.  This  town 
has  the  honor  of  being  the  birthplace  of  James 
G.  Blaine,  though  the  old  Blaine  homestead  has 
long  since  been  torn  down. 

"Indian  Hill"  received  its  name  from  the  fact 
that  William  Peters,  more  familiarly  known  as 
"Indian  Peter,"  formerly  lived  near  Uniontown, 
adjoining  lands  of  a  German  named  Philip  Shute ; 
but  he  did  not  get  along  well  with  his  Teutonic 
neighbor,  whereupon  he  wrote  the  government 
that  he  wanted  to  change  his  location.  The  re- 
quest was  granted  and  in  1769  he  settled  upon 
a  tract  of  339  acres,  including  the  "Indian  Hill" 
of  today.  Crumrine,  in  his  history  of  Washing- 
ton County,  says  that  during  the  spring  of  1784, 
Neal  Gillespie,  a  native  of  Ireland,  and  the  great 
grandfather  of  James  G.  Blaine,  purchased  the 
Indian  Hill  property.    After  several  transfers  it. 


or  a  large  portion  of  it,  fell  into  the  hands  of 
Ephraim  Lyon  Blaine,  the  father  of  Jarnes  G. 
Blaine  who,  after  graduating  at  Washington  Col- 
lege, married  Maria,  the  daughter  of  Neal  Gil- 
lespie. He  located  his  residence  on  the  bottom 
lands  fronting  the  National  Pike;  later  he  built 
the  brick  house  at  the  lower  end  of  the  town, 
where  the  statesman  was  born. 

Brownsville  to  Washington,  Pa. 

The  Pike  makes  a  square  left  turn  in  front 
of  the  old  hotel  and  post  office,  West  Browns- 
ville, onto  a  stretch  of  brick ;  then  it  bears  to 
the  right,  up  a  fairly  long  grade,  once  again 
into  the  open  country.  Looking  back  from  the 
top  of  the  first  hill,  Brownsville  appears  like 
a  small  Pittsburgh — smoky  and  grimy,  but  busy 
and  prosperous.  We  cross  the  stone  bridge  over 
a  deep  ravine,  ascend  another  rather  steep  grade 
and  come,  on  the  right,  to  the  fine  old  stone 
house  shown  in  the  illustration  below.  This 
originally  belonged  to  the  Krepps  family,  whose 
belief  it  is  said  to  have  been  that  a  town  would 
grow  up  on  the  site;  in  old  Pike  days  it  was 
known  as  "Maiden," 

This  tavern  was  built  in  two  sections,  the 
west  part  in  1822,  and  the  east  part  in  1830; 
on  a  dressed  stone  in  the  front  over  the  entrance 


Photograph  Copyright  J.  K.  Lacock 

THE  OLD  STONE  HOUSE  ON  THE  NORTH  SIDE  OF  THE  ROAD,  ABOUT  THREE  MILES  WEST 

OF   BROWNSVILLE 

A  fine  example  of  old-time  construction,  and  now  a  comfortable  private  residence 

72 


Photograph  Copyright  J.  K.  Lacock 
AN  OLD  LANDMARK  AT  BEALLSVILLE,  PA.,  WHERE  THE  ROAD  TO  PITTSBURGH 
VIA  FINLEYVILLE  CONNECTS  WITH  THE  PIKE 


.  is  the  following  inscription:  "Liberty  Krepps- 
ville  1830,"  and  in  addition  the  figures  of  a 
plow,  sheaf  of  wheat  and  an  eagle,  as  dimly 
shown  in  the  photograph.  The  name  "Krepps- 
ville"  survives  only  on  this  inscription ;  and  the 
place  is  now  a  private  residence,  with  a  large 
stone  stable  just  west  of  the  house. 

Pass,  on  the  right,  a  cemetery  with  one  very 
conspicuous  monument,  erected  by  a  hermit,  J. 
Shannon  McCutcheon,  since  deceased  and,  on  the 
left,  a  large  brick  farmhouse  with  square  cupolas, 
direct  into  Centerville,  or  East  Bethlehem  on  the 
U.  S.  Government  Survey  map,  a  town  laid 
out  in  1821,  a  short  time  after  the  completion 
of  the  road.  This  is  about  equally  distant  from 
Uniontown  and  Washington,  and  was  a  popular 
stopping  place  in  stage  coach  days;  on  the  north 
side  of  the  road  is  still  the  fifst  brick  tavern 
erected  in  the  place. 

The  next  town  is  Beallsville,  which  was  the 
outgrowth  of  the  National  Road — laid  out  in 
1821,  and  incorporated  as  a  borough  in  1852;  it 
is  a  long  narrow  village,  most  of  the  building 
facing  on  one  side  or  the  other  of  the  Pike.  Two 
of  the  several  buildings  in  Beallsville  that  date 
back  to  stage  coach  and  tavern  days  are  the 
National  Hotel,  shown  above,  and  known  in 
the  olden  days  as  the  William  Greenfield  stand, 
still  entertaining  the  tourist,  and  the  sub- 
stantial brick  building  on  the  north  side 
of  the  road  formerly  a  tavern  but  now 
(spring  1915)  a  temporary  office  of  the 
Pennsylvania  State  Highway  Department.  The 
"National"  is  on  the  south  side  of  the  road,  at 
the  point  where,  going  west,  one  would  turn 
right    through    Bentleyville    to    Pittsburgh;    the 


brick  house,  which  was  built  in  1823,  is  on  the 
north  side  of  the  road  a  short  distance  west, 
diagonally  opposite  the  National. 

Leaving  Beallsville  the  Pike  ascends  a  con- 
siderable winding  grade,  bearing  right  at  a  three- 
corners  near  the  top — past  what  was  once  an  old 
brick  tavern  on  the  left;  now  the  private  resi- 
dence of  Thomas  Van  Voorhes;  then  it  bears 
right,  downgrade,  with  a  rather  sharp  left  curve, 
before  crossing  the  concrete  viaduct  over  railroad 
tracks  far  below  the  surface.     This  viaduct — a 


Photograph  Copyright  J.  K.  Lacock 
LOOKING  WEST  THROUGH  THE  LITTLE  VILLAGE 
OF  LABORATORY 

On  the  right,  about  the  center  of  the  place,   is  what  was 
known  as  Martin's  Tavern 


73 


Photograph  Copyright  J.  K.  Lacock 
"DEAD  MAN'S  HOLLOW,"  AT  THE  EASTERN  APPROACH  TO  EGG  NOG  HILL,  BETWEEN  THE 
LITTLE  VILLAGES  OF  ODELL  AND  CLYDE 

This   is   a   typical   view   across   the   scenic   highlands   of   southwestern    Pennsylvania,    an   intermediate 
topographic  stage  between  the  AUeghanies  and  the  Central  West 


136-foot  span,  110  feet  above  the  tracks — was 
completed  in  1909  at  a  cost  of  about  $20,000; 
on  either  side  of  the  roadway  there  is  a  seven- 
foot  walk.  Next  is  Scenery  Hill,  as  officially 
known  today,  but  always  "Hillsboro"  to  the  stage 
coach  and  freight  wagon  drivers,  as  well  as  still 
in  the  memory  of  many  old-time  residents. 

Midway  between  Brownsville  and  Washing- 
ton, this  town  was  also  the  outgrowth  of  the 
National  Road,  and  one  of  the  principal  stop- 
ping places  for  stage  coaches.  It  was  laid  out 
in  1819,  and  is  situated  on  a  high  eminence  (1,480 
feet  elevation)  overlooking  a  wide  range  of  hills, 
with  many  fertile  slopes  and  valleys;  in  clear 
weather.  Laurel  Ridge,  30  miles  to  the  southeast, 
can  be  seen  from  this  place.  On  the  south  side 
of  the  road,  just  west  of  the  First  National 
Bank  building,  is  the  old  tavern  or  inn,  first  kept 
by  David  Powell,  which  originally  bore  the  in- 
scription; "D.  Powell's  Inn,"  but  now  out  of 
business  for  30  years. 

Where  Fine  Views  Abound 
On  the  north  side  of  the  road,  just  east  of 
the  four  corners  at  Scenery  Hill,  is  a  stone  hotel, 
once  familiarly  known  as  "Hill's  Tavern";  it 
was  in  existence  as  early  as  1794,  and  in  the  busy 
days  of  the  road  is  said  to  have  been  the  only 
stage  house  extensively  patronized  by  wagoners, 
due  lairgely  to  the  commodious  and  spacious  yard 
in  front  of  the  hotel.  This  is  now  the  Central 
Hotel,  still  entertaining  travelers.  Just  north  of 
the  Pike,  a  short  distance  beyond  the  four- 
corners,  is  a  triangulation  station  of  the  United 
States  Geological  Survey,  with  an  elevation  of 
1,467  feet,  the  highest  point  on  this  route  between 
the  Monongahela  and  Ohio  Rivers.  On  the 
left,  one  and  one-half  miles  west  of  the  village, 
is  a  large  and  handsome  brick  building  on  the 


south  side  of  the  road ;  once  a  very  popular  stand, 
known  familiarly  as  "Charley  Miller's,"  it  is 
now  the  residence  of  John  Wherry. 

Three  miles  west  of  Scenery  Hill  we  make 
a  curve  just  before  coming  into  the  very  small 
village  of  Odell;  on  the  north  side  of 
the  road,  opposite  a  store,  is  an  old  mile 
post,  with  the  figures  "90  to  Cumberland; 
to  Hillsboro  (Scenery  Hill)  3;  41  to  Wheeling; 
to  Washington  9."  About  one  mile  west  of 
Odell,  the  traveler  approaches  "Dead  Man's 
Hbllow,"  shown  in  the  illustration  above; 
here  also  begins  the  eastern  approach  to  Egg  Nog 
Hill.  Now  for  the  first  time  we  see  oil  wells 
and  derricks,  which  are  to  be  frequent  the  bal- 
ance of  the  way  to  Wheeling. 

A  short  distance  west  of  Egg  Nog  Hill  is  the 
picturesque  little  village  of  Clyde;  and,  less  than 
two  miles  beyond,  over  the  same  rolling  country, 
is  the  hamlet  of  South  Strabane.  The  next  point 
of  interest  is  what  is  now  known  officially  as 
Laboratory,  though  its  more  frequent  name  dur- 
ing old  Pike  days  was  Pancake,  so-called  from 
George  Pancake  who  kept  the  first  tavern  there. 
On  the  north  side  of  the  road  is  the  Martin 
tavern,  erected  in  1825,  standing  as  in  the  olden 
days,  but  as  a  private  residence.  Shortly  the 
city  of  Washington,  Pa.,  appears  in  the  distance ; 
we  pick  up  the  trolley  and  follow  it  along  East 
Maiden  Street,  passing  under  the  Pittsburgh- 
Wheeling  line  of  the  B.  &  O.  R.  R.  Just  be- 
yond, the  street  bears  left  past  the  Ladies' 
Seminary  and  within  two  blocks  of  Washington 
and  Jefferson  College,  the  oldest  and  one  of  the 
best  and  most  widely  known  institutions  west  of 
the  Allegheny  Mountains.  The  college  has 
graduated  a  number  of  eminent  men,  and  is  well 
worth  a  visit. 


74 


Chapter  8:     WASHINGTON,  PA.,  ACROSS  TO  WEST  VIRGINIA 
"PANHANDLE"  TO  WHEELING 


IT  the  intersection  of  Main  Street, 
in  Washington,  our  route  turns 
,_  .^_^,-.  right — nearly  north  on  Main 
iSSK^S*^  Street — up-grade,  past  the  large 
i——^=-'  and  impressive  Court  House,  which 
is  at  the  corner  of  Beau  Street. 
Perhaps  there  is  an  interesting  story  of  how  Beau 
and  Maiden  Street  came  to  be  so  named ;  but  that 
is  outside  the  scope  of  the  present  series.  Wash- 
ington is  the  largest  place  between  Cumberland 
and  Wheeling,  and  was  a  popular  stopping  point 
for  stage  coaches  and  freight  wagons,;  several 
of  the  celebrated  taverns  were  located  in  this 
section,  but  they  have  now  disappeared.  At  the 
second  corner  beyond  the  Court  House,  we  turn 
left  on  Chestnut  Street  and  start  on  the  final 
westward  stretch  of  32^^  miles  to  the  Ohio  River  ; 
in  so  doing,  we  run  also  into  the  main  automobile 
route  from  Pittsburgh  to  Wheeling,  which  comes 
into  Washington  from  the  northeast  to  Main  and 
Chestnut  Streets.  This  Pittsburgh  connection 
brings  a  great  deal  of  additional  travel  into  our 
route. 

As  usual,  this  identity  of  the  old  pike  is  par- 
tially lost  in  going  through  a  city  like  Wash- 
ington ;  but  after  crossing  the  Pennsylvania  R.  R. 
tracks,  only  a  short  distance  out  Chestnut  Street, 
and  the  B.  &  O.  further  along,  the  National 
Road  passes  through  West  Washington  (for- 
merly Rankinville),  and  becomes  itself  again  in 
the  open  country.  Two  miles  out  we  cross 
Chartiers  Creek  over  the  three-arch  stone  bridge 


shown  on  page  76,  this  also  illustrates  the  sub- 
stantial way  in  which  the  bridges  on  the  National 
Road  were  built  over  the  smaller  as  well  as  the 
larger  streams.  A  series  of  easy  but  continuous 
grades  carries  the  old  Pike  past  the  old  Miller 
House,  a  popular  and  well-remembered  wagon 
stand  situated  on  the  north  side  of  the  road  about 
five  miles  west  of  Washington ;  like  many  others 
that  once  catered  to  the  traveling  public,  this  is 
now  a  private  residence.  Along  this  portion  of 
the  road  are  several  conspicuous  old  buildings, 
but  not  all  of  historical  significance. 

The  next  landmark  of  importance,  and  one  of 
the  most  interesting  features  of  this  part  of  the 
route,  is  the  low  stone  bridge  over  a  branch 
of  the  Buffalo  Creek,  shown  on  page  77;  on 
account  of  its  peculiar  shape,  it  is  known  far  and 
wide  as  the  "S-bridge."  In  early  times  there 
was  a  tavern  at  either  end  of  it,  though  now 
travel  goes  by  without  stop,  and  the  comparatively 
new  building  on  the  other  side  is  a  large  private 
house.  The  old  tavern  on  the  west  side  of 
the  "S-bridge"  stood  until  it  was  burned  in 
February,  1899,  and  was  quite  typical  of  the 
wooden  buildings,  in  their  last  stages.  The  out- 
side appearance  of  these  old  places  was  never 
very  much  of  an  index  to  the  quality  of  the 
entertainment  they  afforded  to  the  traveler  of 
three-quarters  of  a  century  or  more  ago. 

On  the  top  of  the  hill  beyond  the  "S-bridge," 
and  on  the  south  side  of  the  road,  is  a  large 
brick  structure  which  was  opened  by  John  Cald- 


DETAIL  THROUGH 

WASHINGTON 


l/niontown  end 
Cumbcriand 


*-«-*  %   \-  \  \   \   \  I 


75 


well  as  a  tavern  about  the  time  the  Pike  was 
built  through  this  section;  he  conducted  it  until 
1838,  and  it  was  continued  as  a  tavern 
until  1873.  It  was  a  favorite  resort  of 
pleasure-seeking  parties;  but  like  so  many  other 
of  the  old  places,  is  now  a  private  residence.  At 
the  foot  of  a  grade  about  three-quarters  of  a 
mile  beyond,  the  Pike  crosses  Buffalo  Creek  by 
another  stone  bridge,  commonly  known  as  the 
Clark  Bridge;  this  creek  becomes  a  considerable 
stream  before  reaching  the  Ohio  near  Wells- 
burg,  W.  Va. 

About  a  half  mile  farther  on,  the  road  passes 
far  above  the  Pittsburgh-Wheeling  line  of  the 
B.  &  O.  R.  R.,  which  here  goes  through  a  deep 
tunnel.  Shortly  the  railroad  comes  alongside 
and  is  followed  into  Claysville,  whose  main 
street  is  the  National  Pike;  the  place  was  laid 
out  in  1817  and  named  in  honor  of  Henry  Clay, 
the  Kentucky  statesman,  who  was  one  of  the 
most  ardent  champions  of  the  road.  It  was  for 
many  years  an  important  stage  station,  well  sup- 
plied with  taverns,  both  for  stage  coach  travelers 
and  freight  wagon  drivers.  The  detailed  map  on 
page  77  shown  the  continuation  of  the  route 
direct  west  across  the  railroad  and  past  the  ham- 
let of  Vienna  (once  a  relay  for  express  wagons) 
better  known  as  "Coon  Island,"  to  the  old  brick 
toll  house. 

This  is  the  last  toll  house  on  our  route  in  Penn- 
sylvania, and  is  still  owned  by  that  state;  of 
course,  no  toll  has  been  collected  for  many  years, 
and  as  long  ago  as  1875  the  iron  gates  and  posts 
were  removed  and  sold  for  scrap  iron.  Almost 
in  front  of  the  toll  house,  the  Pike  turns  right, 
and  then  left  six-tenths  of  a  mile  beyond,  direct 
to  West  Alexander  which,  laid  out  in  1796, 
became  one  of  the  important  points  of  this  great 


thoroughfare  to  the  West;  the  original  name  of 
the  community  was  "The  Three  Ridges,"  other 
names  for  it  having  been  "Hard  Scrabble," 
"Gretna  Green"  and  "Saint's  Rest."  The  two 
taverns,  of  which  the  "American  Eagle,"  built 
in  1797  was  probably  the  most  celebrated,  were 
patronized  by  the  rival  stage  lines  of  the  road. 
Today  the  tourist  stopping  at  the  Lafayette,  on 
the  left-hand  side  going  west  will  probably  be 
served  by  the  proprietor  or  a  member  of  his 
family;  the  meal  is  plain  and  substantial,  the 
charge  is  only  35  cents,  and  the  information  quite 
likely  volunteered  that  Marquis  de  Lafayette 
stopped  here  on  his  American  visit  in  1824. 

Continue  through  the  center  of  West  Alex- 
ander, bearing  right  at  the  fork  at  farther  end 
of  the  town ;  a  short  distance  beyond  the  road 
turns  right  under  the  B.  &  O.  R.  R.,  and  at 
the  same  time  we  pass  from  southwestern  Penn- 
sylvania into  that  irregular  part  of  upper 
West  Virginia,  known  as  the  "Panhandle."  In 
so  doing  we  are  likely  to  miss  one  of  the  most 
interesting  of  the  old  milestones,  which  is  on  the 
right,  almost  under  the  railroad,  and  much  more 
conspicuous  as  one  travels  east.  It  dates  back 
to  the  time  when  there  was  no  West  Virginia; 
and  the  inscriptions  are  as  follows: 

(East  side)  "Penn'a  17  to  Wheeling;  to 
Tridelphia  8}^." 

(West  side)  "Virg'a  115  to  Cumberland;  to 
West  Alexander  5^." 

Across  the  West  Virginia  "Panhandle" 
We  are  now  within  45  minutes'  comfortable 
ride  of  the  Ohio  River;  the  16  miles  or  so  are 
almost  level  as  compared  with  the  route  followed 
for  the  greater  part  of  this  trip,  and  there  is  a 
consciousness  of  having  descended  from  the  high- 
lands to  comparative  lowlands. 


Photograph  Copyright  J.  K.  Lacock 
THREE    SPAN    STONE-ARCH    BRIDGE,    CARRYING    THE    NATIONAL    PIKE    OVER 
CHARTIERS    CREEK,    TWO    MILES    WEST    OF    WASHINGTON,    PA. 

This  part  of  the  road  goes  through  one  of  the -Oil  districts  of  southwestern  Pennsylvania,  as 
indicated  by  the  derricks  on  the  other  side  of  the  bridge 

76 


Photograph  Copyright  J.  K.  Lacock 
THE  "SBRIDGE,"  WHICH  CARRIES  THE  NATIONAL  PIKE  OVER  BUFFALO  CREEK 
ABOUT  SIX  MILES  WEST  OF  WASHINGTON,   PA. 

This  is  one  of  tlie  curious  bridges  along  the  route  and  bears  some  resemblance  to  the  one 
across  the  Castleman  River  near  Grantsville,  Md. 


West  Virginia  is  the  youngest  state  east  of 
the  Mississippi,  and  the  only  one  formed  as  a 
direct  result  of  a  division  of  sentiment  over  the 
issues  of  the  war  between  the  states,  having  been 
cut  off  from  the  northwestern  part  of  Virginia 
by  representatives  of  40  counties  who  rejected 
the  ordinance  of  secession  and  met  in  convention, 
suggesting  the  new  state  of  Kanawha.  It  was 
admitted  into  the  Union  June  29,  1863,  as  West 
Virginia,  the  most  irregular  state  in  the  entire 
cjuntry;  with  an  area  of  only  24,589  square 
miles,  a  line  drawn  from  Harpers  Ferry  to 
Kenova  will  measure  574  miles.  This  section 
of  it  seems  at  once  eastern,  western,  northern 
and  southern,  a  conception  which  grows  upon  one 
with  a  closer  geographical  study  of  that  section. 
One  gains,  however,  only  a  very  inadequate  idea 
of  West  Virginia  from  the  little  buffer  piece  seen 
on  this  route;  generally  speaking,  it  is  a  state 
of  great  rivers,  wild  mountains,  and  picturesque 
valleys,  with  an  abundance  of  coal,  gas  and  oil, 
prime  factors  of  industry  and  wealth.     The  cli- 


mate also  seems  more  genial;  running  across  the 
"Panhandle"  on  a  late  fall  day  in  1914,  the 
warmth  and  cheery  brightness  soon  took  away 
the  last  vestiges  of  chill  left-  from  going  over 
the  mountain  ranges  east  of  Uniontown  a  few 
hours  before. 

From  now  on,  the  Pike  follows  the  general 
course  of  the  railroad  and  trolley  through  to 
Wheeling;  but  the  old  road,  first  in  the  field, 
had  its  choice  of  right-of-way,  the  steam  and 
electric  lines  being  obliged  to  adapt  themselves 
as  best  they  could  to  the  most  natural  route 
across  this  section.  One  result  of  this  is  the 
frequent  crossings,  especially  of  the  trolley  tracks, 
which  are  not  encountered  at  as  many  places  all 
the  way  from  Baltimore  to  the  West  Virginia 
line.  There  are  rather  sharp  curves  across  two 
small  bridges  to  the  little  village  of  Valley 
Grove;  the  large  frame  tavern  building  on  the 
north  side  of  the  road  at  this  place  was  opened 
as  a  tavern  in  1832,  and  was  a  station  for  the 
"Stockton"  line  of  coaches. 


77 


CHARACTERISTIC    STRETCH    OF    GOOD    ROAD    ACROSS    THE    "PANHANDLE"    OF    WEST 

VIRGINIA,  AND  NEAR  VIEW  OF  ONE  OF  THE  MANY  OIL  DERRICKS   FOUND 

THROUGHOUT  THAT  SECTION 


Then  comes  Roney's  Point  where,  on  the 
north  side  of  the  road,  we  note  the  old  stone 
tavern  shown  on  page  80  erected  in  1820,  and 
a  public  house  to  this  day;  the  "Simo"  line  of 
stages  stopped  here  under  one  landlord  and  the 
"Good  Intent"  under  another.  Next  is  Tri- 
delphia,  another  one  of  the  many  villages  which 
grew  up  along  the  Pike.  Two  taverns  of  excel- 
lent reputation  are  said  to  have  been  conducted 
here  when  road  travel  was  heavy;  later  on  sev- 
eral of  the  old  stage  coach  and  freight  wagon 
drivers  retired  and  spent  their  declining  years  in 
this  scattered  little  village.  Today  by  the  aid 
of  the  trolley,  it  is  conveniently  suburban  to 
Wheeling,  and  automobiles  outnumber  all  other 
vehicles  over  the  road. 

Less  than  a  mile  and  a  half  beyond  Tridelphia, 
the  road  turns  across  Middle  Wheeling  Creek, 
and  then  right  along  the  south  side  of  same  into 
Main  Street,  Elm  Grove  village,  past  a  side- 
road  leading  to  the  stone  Presbyterian  Church, 
as  shown  by  the  map  on  page  77.    That  church 


was  organized  in  1787,  and  services  were  held 
under  the  large  oak  trees  at  the  top  of  the  hill 
about  1,000  yards  from  what  was  then,  as  it  is 
now,  the  main  thoroughfare  and  overlooking  a 
considerable  proportion  of  the  surrounding  coun- 
try. In  1860  a  church  was  rebuilt  on  the  same 
site,  and  in  1914  a  new  structure  was  erected 
at  the  foot  of  the  hill  about  100  yards  from  the 
main  street  of  the  village. 

Col.  Moses  and  Lydia  Shepherd,  referred  to 
in  the  following  paragraphs,  are  buried  in  the 
cemetery  attached  to  the  old  church  on  the  hill. 
A  short  distance  beyond  one  comes  to  the  eastern 
edge  of  the  three-arched  stone  bridge  shown  on 
page  80.  In  "Loring  Place" — private  grounds 
to  the  left  of  that  bridge,  and  about  50  feet 
from  the  Pike — can  still  be  seen  what  is  left 
of  the  once  famous  Henry  Clay  monument,  long 
worn  by  time  and  storm,  and  now  very  much 
dilapidated.  One  can  scarcely  view  the  present 
condition  of  this  monument  without  feeling  that 
Henry  Clay  and  his  services  to  the  old  Pike  at 


^  Photograph  Copyright  J.  K.  Lacock 

WHERE    THE    ROAD    AND   TROLLEY    CURVE   IN    GOING    INTO    TRIDELPHIA 
The   topography  shown   here  is  quite  typical  of  the   "Panhandle"   of  West   Virginia 

78 


least  deserves  a  better  monument  at  this  late  day. 

Originally   each   of   the   four   sides   of   the   base 

column    bore    an    elaborate    inscription,    though 

none  of  them  is  wholly  legible  now;  one  read: 

"This  monument  was  erected  by  Moses  and  Lydia 
Shepherd,  as  a  testimony  of  respect  to  Henry  Clay, 
the  eloquent  defender  of  National  rights  and  National 
Independence." 

and  another: 

"Time  will  bring  every  amelioration  and  refine- 
ment most  gratifying  to  rational  man ;  and  the 
humblest  flower  freely  plucked  under  the  shelter  of 
the  Tree  of  Liberty,  is  more  to  be  desired  than  all 
the  wrappings  of  royalty:  44th  year  of  American 
Independence,   Anno   Domini    1820." 

Farther  back  in  the  spacious  grounds  is  the 
old  Shepherd  mansion,  where  the  Kentucky 
statesman  and  other  notable  travelers  were  fre- 
quently entertained  on  their  trips  between  the 
Central  West  and  the  National  Capital.  Col. 
Moses  Shepherd  died  in  1832,  at  the  age  of  68; 
the  inscription  on  the  monument  at  his  grave 
refers  to  his  part  in  the  defence  of  that  section 
when  it  was  a  frontier  settlement  and  also  to 
his  public  services  in  aiding  the  construction 
of  the  Cumberland  or  National  Road  across  what 
was  then  the  northwestern  part  of  Virginia.  Im- 
mediately beyond  the  grounds  where  one  would 
stop  to  view  the  Clay  Monument,  the  road  turns 
square  right  to  cross  the  arched  stone  bridge,  and 
passes  through  the  business  center  of  Elm  Grove ; 
then  we  follow  the  trolley  past  the  old  stone 
building  on  the  left,  known  in  the  busy  days 
of  the  National  Pike  as  Mrs.  Gooding's,  to 
Wheeling  Park.  Just  opposite  that  park,  about 
one  and  one-half  miles  west  of  Elm  Grove,  was 
Stamm's,  and  close  to  the  two-mile  post  east 
of  Wheeling,  was  Thompson's;  both  were  noted 
road  houses,  but  more  patronized  by  teamsters 
than  travelers  on  account  of  being  so  near  Wheel- 
ing. These  buildings  are  both  standing  and  are 
in  good  repair,  occupied  as  dwellings. 

Into  and  About  Wheeling 

Many  fine  houses  are  noticed  on  either  side 
of  what  is  the  most  interesting  and  attractive  as 
well  as  the  most  important  thoroughfare  of 
Wheeling;  nor  is  the  identity  of  the  Pike  as  much 
lost  here  as  in  some  smaller  places  farther  east, 
for  at  least  two  of  the  milestones  are  noticed 
within  the  city  limits.  For  a  distance  the  trolley 
leaves  the  roadway,  and  before  it  returns  there 
is  a  fine  stretch  of  brick.  After  crossing  a  stone 
bridge  over  a  tributary  of  Wheeling  Creek,  the 
road  makes  a  left  turn,  and  the  trolley  is  fol- 
lowed through  two  or  three  suburban  commun- 
ities; then  the  tracks  turn  off  to  the  left  and 
we  ascend  Wheeling  Hill  over  more  brick  pave- 
ment, some  of  it  laid  upon  a  high  and  expensive 


Photograph  Copyright  J.  K.  Lacock 


CLOSE  VIEW  OF  THE  HENRY  CLAY  MONU- 
MENT,   ERECTED    IN     1820,    JUST    OFF 
THE  ROAD  AT  ELM  GROVE,  W.  VA. 

Parts  of,  the  original  design  are  now  entirely  gone 
and  the  rest  is  gradually  crumbling 

retaining  wall  built  to  assist  travel  up  the  grade. 
Considerable  of  this  improvement  was  made  pos- 
sible through  several  thousands  of  dollars  raised 
by  or  through  the  Ohio  Valley  Automobile  Club, 
whose  headquarters  are  at  Wheeling. 

From  the  top  a  very  extensive  bird's-eye  view 
of  Wheeling  can  be  had,  and  especially  of  the 
great  Ohio  River  Valley  beyond,  including  the 
two  bridges  connecting  the  states  of  West  Vir- 
ginia and  Ohio.  One  also  gains  some  idea  of 
this  locality  as  an  industrial  center,  with  a  large 
and  valuable  output,  especially  of  iron  and  steel 
products,  glass,  tin-plate,  enamel  ware  and 
tobacco.  At  about  the  start  of  the  corresponding 
downgrade  is  the  point  shown  on  map,  page  82, 
as  "McColloch's  Leap,"  so  named  from  Samuel 
McColIoch,  who  in  September,  1777,  during  an 
assault  on  Fort  Henry,  escaped  from  the  Indians 
by  leaping  from  a  point  on  the  hillside  into 
the  creek  at  the  foot.  Curving  around  to  the  left, 
the  Pike  runs  into  Market  Street  to  the  inter- 
section of  10th  Street  where,  looking  to  the  right 
across  Main  Street,  one  may  see  the  historic 
suspension  bridge  shown  on  page  81. 


79 


We  are  now  at  the  western  terminus  of  that 
part  of  the  National  Road  contemplated  by  the 
original  act  of  Congress,  March  29,  1806,  though 
later  extensions  carried  it  to  Zanesville,  Colum- 
bus and  Springfield,  Ohio,  Richmond,  Indian- 
apolis and  Terre  Haute,  Indiana  and  Vandalia, 
Illinois,  but  never  all  the  way  to  the  "Father  of 
Waters"  at  St.  Louis.  As  early  as  1805  there 
was  a  great  deal  of  emigration  through  Wheel- 
ing, 800  wagons,  carts  and  other  vehicles  cross- 
ing the  Ohio  here  within  three  months  on  their 
way  to  the  rich  farming  lands  of  what  is  now 
our  Central  West.  The  next  year  it  was  incor- 
porated as  a  town,  and  one  important  event  fol- 
lowed another,  for  in  1811  steam  navigation  was 
opened  between  Pittsburgh,  Wheeling,  Cincin- 
nati, Louisville  and  New  Orleans,  and  in  1818 
the  National  Road  was  completed  to  the  Ohio, 
providing  through  transportation  from  Baltimore, 
Hagerstown  and  Cumberland  across  the  Al- 
leghenies.  Two  years  later,  Congress  made  its 
first  appropriation  for  continuing  the  survey  of 
the  National  Road  from  Wheeling  to  the  Mis- 
sissippi  River. 

In  the  early  days,  the  river  was  crossed  by 
ferry,  but  in  1837  a  covered  wooden  bridge  was 
completed  across  the  narrow  or  west  channel  be- 
tween Wheeling  Island  and  the  Ohio  shore  at 
Bridgeport,  though  not  across  the  east  or  main 
channel;  and  it  may  be  interesting  to  know  that 
it  was  replaced  on  the  original  piers  by  the  pres- 
ent steel  bridge  only  ten  or  twelve  years  ago. 
The  main  line  of  National  Pike  crossed 
this  island  over  what  is  now  known  as  Zane 
Street;  the  island  was  originally  owned  by  Col. 
Ebenezer  Zane,  and  tradition  says  that  he  pur- 
chased it  from  the  Indians  for  a  jug  of  whiskey. 

The  old  wooden  bridge  was  used  until  1849, 
when  the  first  suspension  bridge — the  first  one 
across  the  Ohio,  and  at  that  time  the  longest  in 
the  world — was  completed  and  opened  to  traffic. 
That  one  was  blown  down  in  1854  and  the  pres- 


Photograph  Copyright  J.  K.  Lacock 

OLD   STONE  HOTEL  AT   RONEY'S  POINT,  W.   VA., 

BUILT  1820,  AND  STILL  DOING  A  LOCAL 

BUSINESS 

ent  "suspension  bridge,"  1,010  feet  long,  was 
opened  two  years  later.  The  "Steel  Bridge" 
(1,600  feet  long)  can  also  be  used  by  the  west- 
bound tourist,  but  this  is  owned  by  the  traction 
lines  and  carries  a  very  heavy  traffic;  it  is  also 
narrow,  and  requires  taking  a  more  circuitous 
route.  So  the  old  bridge  that  has  accommodated 
most  of  the  traffic  for  59  years  is  still  the  best 
for  the  motorist  of  today. 

Brief  Historical  Retrospect 
The  strategic  location  of  WTieeling  made  it 
from  the  earliest  days  a  point  of  more  than  ordin- 
ary historic  importance;  in  his  "Journals" 
(1751-52)  Christopher  Gist  speaks  of  reaching 
the  present  site  of  the  city,  crossing  the  Ohio, 
probably  near  the  suspension  bridge,  and  men- 
tions the  "antique  sculptures"  (the  work  of  the 
mound-builders)  on  the  other  side.  It  was  set- 
tled, as  Zanesburg,  in  1769;  and  in  1774  Fort 
Fincastle,  afterward  called  Fort  Henry,  in  honor 


" 

^                              \ 

'^VVRIP:' 

"'          ■^^^^^•^'^'^■-  •^"^BffnP^^^^'^ 

Photograph  Copyright  J.  K.  Lacock 
THREE-ARCHED    STONE   BRIDGE   OVER   LITTLE   WHEELING   CREEK   AT   ELM 
GROVE,  W.  VA.,  ABOUT  FIVE  MILES  EAST  OF  WHEELING 

80 


of  Patrick  Henry,  was  established  by  General 
Dunmore  to  resist  Indian  outbreaks.  An  attack 
on  that  fort  in  1782  was  the  last  battle  of  the 
Revolutionary  War. 

After  the  nominal  cessation  of  hostilities,  but 
before  the  news  reached  the  Ohio  River,  260 
Indians  and  40  Queens  Rangers,  in  command 
of  Captain  Brandt,  attacked  the  settlement.  Col. 
Ebenezer  Zane,  with  four  or  five  campanions 
was  defending  his  barricaded  house,  when  his 
supply  of  powder  gave  out.  His  daughter  Eliza- 
beth, who  was  in  the  fort,  filled  her  apron  with 
powder  and  ran  from  the  fort  to  her  father's 
house,  over  100  yards,  in  the  face  of  a  brisk  fire, 
but  was  unharmed.  After  a  long  fight  the  settlers 
were  victorious.  A  tablet  about  two  feet  high, 
marking  the  site  of  Fort  Henry,  can  be  seen  on 
the  curb  of  Main  Street,  about  a  block  south 
of  the  Suspension  Bridge. 

Wheeling  was  laid  out  by  Colonel  Zane  in 
1793,  and  the  present  name,  about  which  there 
are  conflicting  legends,  was  adopted  in  1795. 
Some  claim  that  it  was  derived  from  the  fact 
that  the  Creek,  in  its  meandering  course, 
"wheeled"  around  the  hill  near  its  junction  with 
the  Ohio;  but  the  most  generally  accepted  opin- 
ion is  that  it  came  from  an  Indian  word  mean- 
ing "The  Head."  It  is  said  that  on  one  occa- 
sion the  Indians  cremated  a  white  man,  placed 
his  head  on  a  pole  and  did  a  war-dance  around 
it;  this  is  supposed  to  have  taken  place  at  the 
head  of  Wheeling  Creek  and  may  account  for 
the  name. 

It  was  incorporated  in  1806,  made  a  city 
in  1836,  and  was  the  capital  of  West  Virginia 
from  1863  to  1870,  and  also  from  1875  to  1885, 
before  Charleston  was  made  the  permanent 
capital.     The  present  population  of  Wheeling  is 


about  50,000,  and  it  is  the  center  for  a  tri-state 
business  district  of  about  200,000.  It  is  slightly 
north  of  the  Mason  and  Dixon  line,  and  was 
the  first  point  on  the  Ohio  River  reached  by 
railway  across  the  Alleghany  Mountains. 

The  named  streets  run  parallel  with  the  Ohio 
River,  while  the  numbered  streets  extend  from 
the  river  to  the  eastern  part  of  the  city.  One 
gains  the  impression  that  the  streets  in  the  down- 
town business  center  are  narrow,  possibly  some- 
what because  the  city  itself  is  hemmed  in  be- 
tween the  river  and  the  hills  on  either  side  of 
Wheeling  Creek.  But  perhaps  no  place  of  its 
size  in  the  United  States  has  today  as  much 
through  east  and  west  travel  as  Wheeling.  It 
has  also  now,  as  in  the  olden  days,  as  large 
and  important  river  commerce;  and  the  tourist 
from  the  seaboard  will  probably  be  interested 
to  note  the  characteristic  boats  on  the  Ohio, 
especially  the  large  "tows"  of  soft  coal,  bound 
to  points  as  far  south  as  New  Orleans. 

On  Main  Street,  half  a  square  below  the 
suspension  bridge,  is  the  site  of  Fort  Henry, 
now  occupied  by  a  lunch  room  or  restaurant. 
In  1860  there  were  only  100  slaves  in  Ohio 
County,  in  which  Wheeling  is  situated ;  but 
there  was  a  slave  market  on  Market  Street  be- 
tween 10th  and  11th  Streets,  where  the  audi- 
torium, a  market  and  convention  hall  combined, 
now  stands.  Court  was  also  held  at  this  cor- 
ner, and  nearby  at  one  time  was  an  old-fashioned 
whipping  post;  of  course,  all  these  sites  have 
since  been  occupied  with  modern  buildings. 

The  most  noted  of  the  several  old  taverns  was 
that  of  John  McCortney,  located  on  Main  Street, 
running  east  on  14th  Street  to  Alley  B,  parallel 
with  and  between  Main  and  Market  Streets. 
Ample  grounds  surrounding  it  afEorded  plenty  of 


Photograph  Copyright  7.  K.  Lacock 
THE    FAMOUS    SUSPENSION    BRIDGE   ACROSS    THE   OHIO    RIVER   FROM   WHEELING,    WEST 

VIRGINIA,  TO  BRIDGEPORT,  OHIO 

This  is  now,  as  in  the  olden  time,  the  principal  means  of  connecting  the  eastern  and  western 

sections   of  the   National   Road 


81 


room  for  wagons  and  teams  to  stand;  and  in 
connection  with  his  hotel,  McCortney  had  a 
large  commission  business.  As  early  as  1802, 
Capt.  Fred  Beymer  kept  a  tavern  near  the  site 
of  Fort  Henry;  and  in  1806  the  Wheeling  town 
council  met  there,  the  place  having  been  kept 
subsequently  by  Mrs.  Beymer.  The  two  prin- 
cipal hotels  of  today  are  the  McLure,  on  the 
southeast  corner  of  12th  and  Market  Streets,  and 
the  Windsor,  on  the  west  side  of  Main  Street, 
between  11th  and  12th,  both  convenient  to  the 
National  Road  leading  east  or  west,  and  to  the 
several  routes  which  diverge  in  other  directions. 
As  a  matter  of  mere  driving,  the  Baltimore- 
Wheeling  trip  can  be  made  in  about  fifteen  hours, 
averaging  probably  eight  from  Baltimore  to  Cum- 
berland and  about  seven  from  Cumberland  to 
Wheeling.  Spread  over  two  fairly  long  days, 
and  with  such  advance  knowledge  of  the  route 
and  its  chief  points  of  interest  as  this  series  of 
articles  is  intended  to  supply,  it  should — in  favor- 
able weather — turn  out  to  be  a  tour  of  unusual 
variety,  and  one  full  of  memories  well  worth 
retaining.  In  running  from  the  sea  level  of 
Chesapeake  Bay  across  the  entire  Appalachian 
Range  to  the  Ohio  River,  the  tourist  comes  to 


know  the  different  mountain  ranges  as  would 
be  possible  in  no  other  way  except,  of  course,  by 
primitive  and  slower  means  of  transportation; 
and  may  frequently  be  surprised  at  the  relative 
shortness  of  the  trip  and  the  little  time  needed 
to  cover  it  as  compared  with  the  corresponding 
routes  from  the  eastern  seaboard  to  the  Central 
West  through  Pittsburgh  or  Buffalo. 

Probably  a  large  portion  of  motor  tourists 
who  make  this  run  from  Baltimore  arrive  at 
Wheeling  with  a  consciousness  that  their  inter- 
est in  the  route  would  be  increased  rather  than 
lessened  if  the  trip  were  to  be  literally  retraced 
on  the  two  following  days;  but  with  a  stronger 
inclination  to  follow  the  old  road  across  the 
Ohio  River,  and  part  if  not  all  the  way  to  the 
Mississippi.  It  is  quite  possible  that  another 
year  may  see  this  series  of  articles  carried  from 
Wheeling  to  St.  Louis  or  beyond,  and  ultimately 
to  the  Pacific  Coast.  But  one  making  the  tour, 
even  so  far  as  already  covered  by  the  detailed 
maps,  will  inevitably  gain  a  new  conception  of 
the  Old  National  Road — particularly  its  strategic 
location  and  deep  historic  interest;  and  is  quite 
likely  convinced  that  it  is  the  most  logical  eastern 
part  of  the  National  Old  Trails  Ocean-to- 
OcEAN  Highway. 


WHEELING,   WEST   VIRGINIA,    IS   THE    NATURAL   DIVIDING  POINT  BETWEEN  THE  GREAT  EASTERN 

AND    WESTERN    SECTIONS    OF    THE    NATIONAL  ROAD,  AND  THE  TERMINUS  NAMED  IN  THE 

LAW  UNDER  WHICH    IT  WAS   BUILT   EKOM   CUMBERLAND   TO   THE  OHIO  RIVER 


82 


CLOSE  VIEW  OF  THE  FINE  BRIDGE  OVER  ROCK  CREEK,  ON  THE  CONNECTICUT  AVENUE 
ROUTE  OUT  OF  WASHINGTON,  TOWARD  ROCKVILLE  AND  FREDERICK 

The  location  of  this  bridge  is  made  clear  by  the  condensed  map  of  ways  out  of  Washington   toward  the 

northwest,  page   86.     Rock   Creek  is  also   crossed,   a   trifle   farther  south,   by  the   optional 

route  out  Wisconsin  Avenue,  past  the  U.  S.  Naval  Observatory 


Chapter  9:     BALTIMORE -WASHINGTON  -  FREDERICK 

"TRIANGLE" 


I  HE  increasing  importance  of  Wash- 
ington, D.  C,  as  a  touring  center, 
and  the  fact  that  a  large  number 
of  motorists  come  up  from  that  city 
through  Rockville  to  Frederick,  en 
route  to  Hagerstown,  Cumberland  and  points 
west  over  the  Old  National  Road,  has  led  to 
considerable  inquiry  for  detailed  maps,  descrip- 
tive text  and  illustrations  around  the  "triangle" 
shown  on  pages  86  and  87  on  the  plan  of  those 
in  the  series  of  eight  installments  on  the  route 
between  Baltimore  and  Wheeling.  Hence  this 
supplementary  chapter  which,  in  addition,  fur- 
nishes an  interesting  and  historic  round  trip  from 
either  Baltimore,  Washington  or  Frederick. 
While  it  is  the  opinion  of  the  writer  that,  mile 
for  mile,  the  Baltimore-Frederick  direct  line  is 
preferable — and  certainly  gives  the  tourist  more 
of  those  splendid  "rolling  roads"  described  on 
page  18 — those  who  prefer  to  go  around  by 
Washington  will  be  amply  repaid  for  doing  so. 
Topographically  the  two  routes  from  tidewater 
to  Frederick  are  quite  different,  especially  on 
their   eastern   ends.     Going   directly  west   from 


Baltimore  the  tourist  enters  the  hill  country  about 
as  soon  as  he  leaves  the  city,  traversing  a  charm- 
ing country  all  the  way,  while  the  Baltimore- 
Washington  part  of  the  triangle  is  a  compara- 
tively flat  highway  between  the  Patapsco  and 
Potomac  Rivers.  The  run  into  the  national 
capital  this  way  is  far  from  being  impressive  to 
the  stranger;  but  on  the  way  out  of  Washing- 
ton, through  its  finest  residential  and  club  dis- 
tricts, and  past  several  of  its  famous  monuments, 
one  gains  an  excellent  idea  of  the  city  and  its 
environs.  From  Baltimore  to  Frederick  direct 
is  45^  miles;  while  from  Baltimore  to  Wash- 
ington is  38  miles  and  Washington  to  Frederick 
is  43^  to  51%  miles,  according  to  the  route 
taken  beyond  Rockville,  which  figures  from  81^ 
to  89%  miles,  or  at  most  somewhat  less  than 
twice  the  mileage  on  the  direct  route. 

Baltimore-Elkridge- Laurel 
Of  the  various  ways  out  of  Baltimore  toward 
Washington,  there  is  none  simpler  or  better  than 
that  shown  briefly  on  the  map,  page  87. 


83 


BALTIMORE  -WASHINGTON  -  FREDERICK  «  TRIANGLE  " 


Starting  from  North  Charles  and  Mulberry 
Street  (residence  of  Cardinal  Gibbons  on  north- 
west corner),  this  uses  Mulberry  Street  west  to 
the  intersection  of  Fulton  Avenue;  then  south 
on  Fulton  Avenue  to  Wilkens  Avenue.  Turn- 
ing right  one  block  on  Wilkens  Avenue  and  next 
left  into  South  Monroe  Street,  it  crosses  a  bridge 
over  the  B.  &  O.  R.  R.  and  passes  Carroll  Park, 
on  the  left,  to  the  end  of  the  street  at  Columbia 
Avenue,  on  which  trolleys  run,  and  where  a 
square  right  turn  is  made. 

Once  on  Columbia  Avenue  the  way  is  prac- 
tically direct  and  unmistakable  to  the  edge  of 
Washington,  over  the  identical  route  used  by  the 
stagecoaches  of  Colonial  days;  it  is  shown  as 
the  "Washington  Road"  on  most  old  maps  of 
that  section.  At  the  height  of  the  stagecoach 
era,  when  increasing  travel  had  brought  com- 
petition, and  horses  were  changed  every  10  or 
12  miles,  the  running  time  between  Baltimore 
and  Washington  was  reduced  to  five  hours,  as 
compared  with  about  an  hour  and  a  half  needed 
by  the  motor  car  of  today. 


r 

i        AGRiCULTURAL 

1    ummny  station.^ 

^ 

'*(■ 

^^^^^^^^B 

ife™. 

"-"*l»«^-««^ 

THE  "ROSSBURG  INN"  OF  COLONIAL  DAYS 

Now  the   Experiment   Station   of  the   Maryland 
Agricultural  College 

Novti*  for  several  miles  there  are  few  details 
to  attract  the  attention  of  the  tourist  or  to  cause 
any  delay  on  the  trip.  At  two  points,  however, 
it  is  interesting  to  note  how  radically  the  pres- 
ent boulevard  has  left  the  line  of  the  old  road; 
and  at  the  same  time  the  motor  traveler  of  1915 
gains  some  idea  of  the  kind  of  highway  it  was* 
necessary  to  follow  much  of  the  way  over  this 
route  up  to  within  the  past  few  years.     Over 


to  the  right,  at  the  mileage  7.7,  there  is  a  view 
of  Relay,  where  horses  were  changed  on  the  first 
regular  line  of  rail  transportation  in  the  United 
States,  prior  to  the  introduction  of  steam  in  1830. 
It  is  now  a  junction  point  on  the  B.  &  O.  R.  R.; 
a  view  of  the  depot  and  the  first  stone  arch  rail- 
road bridge  in  America,  will  be  found  on  page 
19.     For  location,  see  map,  page  87. 

Just  beyond  is  the  scattered  old  village  of 
Elkridge,  where  the  Patapsco  is  crossed  by  an 
iron  bridge,  probably  not  more  than  six  miles 
from  where  the  direct  road  west  from  Baltimore 
crosses  it  by  a  new  concrete  bridge  at  Ellicott 
City.  Elkridge  was  the  site  of  an  ancient  iron 
furnace  and  foundry  where,  in  1835,  were  cast 
the  iron  water  pipes  used  for  the  Croton  Water 
Works  of  New  York  City.  There  are  several 
bridges  on  this  part  of  the  route,  including  one 
at  a  bad  angle  over  the  railroad,  where  accidents 
have  occurred;  but  the  way  is  absolutely  clear 
and  direct.  Slightly  less  than  half  way  between 
the  two  cities,  we  come  to  the  pleasant  village 
of  Laurel,  home  of  the  late  Senator  A.  P.  Gor- 
man. 

Some  Relics  of  the  Olden  Time 
Going  through  Laurel  by  Washington  Avenue, 
we  shortly  pass  a  large  sanitarium  on  the  right, 
and  run  by  the  little  B.  &  O.  R.  R.  station  at 
Muirkirk,  named  from  Muirkirk  in  the  coal  and 
iron  district  of  Ayr  County,  Scotland  ;  over  to  the 
left  across  the  tracks,  can  still  be  seen  remains 
of  an  old  furnace.  As  long  ago  as  March  23, 
1748,  a  deed  was  recorded  in  Prince  George  Co., 
Md.,  from  Joseph  Hall  to  Richard  Snowden, 
"Iron  Master,"  for  a  tract  of  land  located  "on 
the  north  branch  of  the  Patuxent  River,  com- 
monly called  Snowden's  River,  two  or  three  miles 
below  Patuxent  Iron  Works."  There  was  an 
earlier  iron  furnace  in  Cecil  Co.,  the  Principio, 
built  in  1716;  but  'hat  mentioned  in  this  deed 
appears  to  be  among  the  first. 

In  time  the  furnace  at  Muirkirk  came  into 
the  hands  of  the  Ellicotts,  founders  of  Ellicott 
City  and  among  the  most  enterprising  men  of 
their  day.  This  was  the  first  charcoal  furnace 
in  the  United  States  to  use  a  hot  blast  in  the 
top  of  the  stack  and  to  take  the  gas  to  make 
steam — a  primitive  beginning  of  what  has  be- 
come one  of  the  greatest  industries  of  the  coun- 
try; but,  of  course,  no  iron  has  been  manu- 
factured in  this  vicinity  for  many  years.  An  in- 
teresting feature  along  the  route  is  the  painting 
of   the   gradually  lessening  distances   to   Wash- 


84 


BALTIMORE  -WASHINGTON  -  FREDERICK  "  TRIANGLE  " 


ington  on  the  sides  of  the  concrete  culverts  along 
the  way. 

After  curving  right  at  Beltsville  Station,  our 
road  crosses  the  interurban  trolley  and  shortly 
comes  alongside  the  Maryland  Agricultural  Col- 
lege; well  over  to  the  left  are  the  government 
aviation  grounds,  several  of  the  "hangars"  easily 
seen  from  the  road,  while  on  the  south  side  are 
extensive  fields  and  gardens  connected  with  the 


where  General  Lafayette  is  said  to  have  stopped, 
is  still  called  "Lafayette's  room."  The  Direc- 
tor of  the  Experiment  Station  also  has  his  office 
on  the  first  floor  of  the  building,  which  is  known 
locally  as  "headquarters." 

An  Historic  Estate 
The  next  point  of  historic  interest  along  our 
route  is  the  old  Calvert  Mansion,  now  the  Lord 


CHEVY    CHASE    CIRCLE,    ON    THE    CONNECTICUT    AVENUE    KOUTIC    OU  r    Ol' 
WASHINGTON,  TOWARD  ROCKVILLE,  MARYLAND 

The  line  of  the  District  of  Columbia  passes  through  this  "circle."     In  front  of  the  Chevy 

Chase  Country  Club,  a  short  distance  farther  north,  a  left  turn  is  made  through 

Bradley  Lane  to  the  Rockville  Turnpike 


institution.  The  main  building  is  on  the  heights, 
a  considerable  distance  over  to  the  right,  but 
of  greater  historical  interest  is  the  Experiment 
Station,  alongside  the  road,  for  that  is  the  first 
of  the  old  brick  taverns  along  this  route  which 
is  preserved  almost  as  it  was  in  colonial  times. 
Constructed  in  1798,  it  is  supposed  to  be  one  of 
the  oldest,  if  not  the  oldest,  building  in  that 
locality. 

Tradition  says  that  the  large  elms  standing  in 
front  of  the  old  inn  were  brought  over  on  the 
same  ship  with  the  brick  of  which  the  house 
was  built  and  which  were  imported  from  Eng- 
land. In  some  excavating  two  years  ago  there 
was  found  a  Spanish  coin  in  a  perfect  state  of 
preservation ;  even  the  milling  on  the  edges  is 
perfect.  On  the  obverse  are  the  words  "Carolus 
III  Dei  Gratia  1776,"  and  on  the  reverse  side, 
"Hispan  Et.  Ind  Rex  Me  Irmi." 

Situated  eight  miles  from  Washington  or  ten 
miles  (the  usual  relay  distance  in  those  days) 
from  Georgetown,  the  early  commercial  and 
transfer  point  between  this  road  and  the  boats 
on  the  Potomac  River,  it  was  called  the  Ross- 
burg  Inn,  a  popular  and  historic  stopping  place 
for  stagecoaches.     A  room  on  the  second  floor, 


Baltimore  Country  Club,  only  a  fraction  of  a 
mile  ofif  our  route  and  well  worth  a  visit,  though 
likely  to  be  missed  unless  known  of  in  advance. 
It  is  on  the  south  side  of  the  road  at  the  subur- 
ban village  of  Riversd^e,  so  named  because  of 
its  location  near  the  junction  of  two  small  rivers. 
The  Calverts  were  the  original  proprietors  of 
Maryland;  their  original  estate,  consisting  of 
about  8,000  acres,  is  Mt.  Airy,  located  just  south 
of  Marlboro  (southeast  of  Washington,  in  Prince 
George  Co.),  and  is  still  in  a  good  state  of 
preservation.  This  was  the  home  of  Benedict 
Leonard  Calvert,  the  son  of  Charles,  fifth  Lord 
Baltimore,  who  was  Collector  of  his  Lordship's 
customs  just  prior  to  the  War  of  the  Revolution. 
Riversdale  became  the  home  of  his  son,  George 
Calvert,  who  married  Rosalie  Eugenia  Steer ;  the 
old  mansion,  built  in  1802,  is  an  excellent  ex- 
ample of  colonial  architecture.  It  is  of  brick, 
made  on  the  place,  and  covered  with  a  cement 
plaster.  The  large  main  building  of  two  stories, 
with  a  high  sloping  roof  and  connecting  wings 
at  each  end,  is  graceful  and  dignified.  It  may  be 
interesting  to  know  that  the  sandstone  pillars  in 
front  of  the  old  mansion  were  originally  in- 
tended for  the  Capitol  at  Washington;  but  they 


85 


map  for  details 
through  Solh'more 


BALTIMORE 


87 


BALTIMORE  -WASHINGTON  -  FREDERICK  "  TRIANGLE  " 


were  too  short,  and  were  subsequently  secured 
by  the  Calverts,  who  afterward  added  the  wings. 
Although  the  original  estate  contained  thousands 
of  acres,  the  old  mansion  is  now  surrounded  by 
comparatively  small  grounds,  while  suburban 
homes  almost  crowd  it  on  every  side. 

Through  Hyattsville  and  Bladensburg 
Then  we  come  to  Hyattsville,  a  comparatively 
modern  residence  suburb,  where  caution  is  neces- 
sary at  the  crossing  of  the  trolley  and  the  B.  & 
O.  R.  R. ;  a  short  half  mile  beyond,  the  route 
crosses  a  low  concrete  bridge  over  the  Anacostia 
River,  a  tributary  of  the  Potomac  and  once  navig- 
able, though  now  very  small  and  sluggish.  Then 
we  enter  the  dilapidated  old  town  of  Bladens- 
burg, passing  on  the  right  the  George  Washing- 
ton House,  at  least  150  years  old,  and  probably 
a  tavern  continuously  since.  Bladensburg  is  one 
of  the  oldest  settlements  in  Maryland;  but  little 
is  now  left  of  it  except  a  few  ancient  houses, 
and  the  memory  of  its  being  an  important  port 
in  colonial  times.  On  the  heights  around 
Bladensburg  was  fought  the  battle  of  that  name 


ians;  the  Americans  sustained  a  severe  defeat 
and  retreated,  leaving  the  way  open  to  Wash- 
ington, which  was  plundered  and  the  public 
buildings  burned.  Afterward  the  damages  to 
the  president's  mansion  were  hastily  repaired  by 
painting  it  white,  hence  the  term  "White  House." 
The  American  forces  left  the  battlefield  with 
such  haste,  and  continued  running  so  long  that 
their  retreat  is  frequently  referred  to  as  the 
"Bladensburg    Races." 

At  the  wheelwright  shop  in  the  three  corners 
just  beyond  the  old  George  Washington  House 
our  route  turns  right,  crosses  the  trolley  and 
also  another  low  concrete  bridge  over  the  Ana- 
costia River  into  the  Bladensburg  Road.  On 
the  right-hand  side  of  the  road  in  this  vicinity 
is  a  little  glen,  shut  in  by  hills  and  trees,  and  still 
called  "the  duelling  ground."  Not  far  away  is 
the  site  of  an  Indian  village  of  considerable 
fame,  also  one  of  their  workshops ;  authorities  say 
that  "From  Giesboro  Point  on  the  south  to 
Bladensburg  on  the  north,  may  be  found  every 
variety  of  stone  implement  common  to  the  North 
American    Indian."      Giesboro    Point   is   on   the 


BRADLEY    LANE,    THE    CONXECTING    LINK    BETWEEN    THE    CONNECTICUT 

AVENUE  AND   WISCONSIN   AVENUE   ROUTES   OUT   OF   WASHINGTON, 

TOWARD    ROCKVILLE,    PASSING    THE    CHEVY    CHASE 

COUNTRY  CLUB 

This  stretch  of  road  is  just  outside  the  District  of  Columbia,  and  is  typical  of  the  excellent 
suburban  roads  surrounding  the  National  Capital 


in  1814,  from  whence  started  the  celebrated 
Bladensburg  "Races"  when  our  troops  were  de- 
feated. 

In  August,  1814,  an  expedition  under  the  Eng- 
lish General,  Ross,  marching  through  Maryland 
to  attack  Washington,  was  met  at  Bladensburg 
by  a  force  chiefly  of  Marylanders  and   Virgin- 


southern  bank  of  the  Anacostia  River,  where  it 
empties  into  the  Potomac,  in  the  District  of 
Columbia;  from  this  point  to  and  beyond  Bladens- 
burg, "was  the  location  of  a  line  of  Indian  vil- 
lages and  workshops  of  the  "Nacotchtants,"  re- 
ported by  Captain  John  Smith  in  1608,  and  later 
by  the  early  settlers  of  Maryland. 


BALTIMORE  -WASHINGTON  -  FREDERICK  "  TRIANGLE  " 


Entering  the  National  Capital 

About  a  mile  and  a  quarter  beyond  the  second 
crossing  of  the  Anacostia  River,  our  route  leaves 
Maryland  and  enters  the  District  of  Columbia. 
The  "Bladensburg  Road"  comes  to  an  end  at 
the  irregular  six  corners  from  which  Maryland 
Avenue,  15th  Street,  N.  E.  and  H.  Street  diverge; 
and  there  is  a  choice  of  several  ways  beyond  that 
point.  Of  those  none  is  more  pleasant  and  in- 
teresting than  the  one  given  prominence  on  the 
map,  page  87,  using  Maryland  Avenue — a  fine 
wide  thoroughfare,  with  flower  beds  in  the  center 
— to  Stanton  Square;  thence  to  the  right,  half- 
way around  that  square,  and  again  ahead  on 
Maryland  Avenue  until  its  direct  course  is 
broken  by  the  capitol  grounds.  Now,  perhaps, 
the  best  way  is  to  turn  right  to  the  northeast 
corner  of  these  grounds  and  then  left  on  B  Street, 
running  in  front  of  the  Senate  office  building  to 
the  northwest  corner  of  the  capitol  grounds  at 
First  Street. 

Turning  left  on  First  Street,  and  next  right 
on  into  Pennsylvania  Avenue,  the  tourist  runs 
straight  ahead  on  that  great  wide  and  historic 
thoroughfare  to  the  break  in  its  direct  line  at 
15th  Street,  N.  W.,  in  front  of  the  Treasury 
Building.  Turn  right  on  15th  Street  along  the 
east  side  of  the  Treasury  and  next  left,  again 
on  Pennsylvania  Avenue,  coming  in  front  of  the 
White  House.  By  common  consent,  the  short 
piece  of  Pennsylvania  Avenue  between  the  Execu- 
tive Mansion  on  the  left,  and  Lafayette  Square 
on  the  right,  is  usually  considered  the  route 
center  of  the  national  capital. 

A  pleasant  and  interesting  alternate  would  be 
to  bear  left  at  15th  Street,  N.  W.,  and  pass  to 
the  south  or  rear  of  the  Treasury  Building, 
Sherman  Statue  on  the  left;  then  turn  right  be- 
tween that  building  and  the  White  House  to 
Pennsylvania  Avenue.  Then  turn  left  and  join 
the  route  already  given,  avoiding  that  section  of 
15  th  Street  which  is  the  most  congested  street 
railway  center  of  Washington,  and  difficult  to 
get  through  in  "rush  hours."  Or  better  still, 
if  one  has  time  bear  left  around  the  south  of 
the  Treasury  as  above,  and  continue  left  around 
the  White  House  grounds;  thence  bear  left 
through  what  is  called  the  "White  Lot,"  pass- 
ing to  the  south  of  the  State,  War  and  Navy 
Building  into   17th  Street. 

Then  turn  left,  passing  on  the  right  the  granite 
building  of  the  Corcoran  Art  Gallery,  next  the 
white  marble  Continental  Memorial  Hall  of  the 
D.   A.   R. ;   then   the   Spanish-American    marble 


building  of  the  Pan-American  Congress,  around 
which  turn  right.  You  will  find  in  front  of 
you  the  foundation  of  the  Lincoln  Memorial 
Building,  now  in  course  of  construction,  while 
to  the  left  is  the  slender  shaft  of  the  Washing- 
ton Monument,  555  feet  high.  Until  the  road- 
way beyond  this  point  is  put  in  better  condition 
it  will  probably  be  better  to  retrace  our  way 
north  on  17th  Street  to  Pennsylvania  Avenue,  at 
which  point  we  again  take  up  the  route  already 
sketched. 

The  insert  map,  "Detail  Through  Washing- 
ton," page  87,  will  give  the  stranger  making 
this  trip  a  brief  general  idea  of  the  principal 
ways  into,  through  and  out  of  the  national 
capital.  It  also  shows  the  location  of  the  Na- 
tional Highways  Association,  McLachlen  Build- 
ing, 10th  and  G  Streets,  N.  W.,  and  the  Ameri- 
can Automobile  Association,  Riggs  Building,  op- 
posite the  Treasury.  Either  office  will  be  glad 
to  see  callers  and  assist  them  in  any  way,  espe- 
cially with  road  information  in  that  locality. 
The  mapping  department  of  the  National  High- 
ways Association,  3211  13th  Street,  N.  W.,  is 
also  shown  on  the  map. 

Out  of  Washington — Northwest 

Starting  on  the  second  leg  of  the  "triangle," 
now  toward  Rockville  and  Frederick,  Maryland, 
continue  west  on  Pennsylvania  Avenue  one  full 
block  beyond  Lafayette  Square,  passing  on  the 
left  the  State,  War  and  Navy  Building,  the 
largest  public  structure,  in  Washington,  except 
the  Capitol.  At  the  farther  corner  leave  Penn- 
sylvania Avenue  (diagonally  ahead)  by  turning 
right  up  17th  Street,  which  crosses  the  trolley 
and  bears  left  along  the  west  side  of  Farragut 
Square  into  Connecticut  Avenue.  Over  to  the 
right,  on  the  east  side  of  Farragut  Square,  is 
the  Army  and  Navy  Club ;  a  short  distance  above 
we  pass  the  Longfellow  Monument  on  the  left, 
the  John  Witherspoon  Monument  on  the  right, 
in  front  of  the  Church  of  the  Covenant,  and 
then  the  British  Embassy,  on  the  left,  to  Dupont 
Circle. 

In  the  immediate  vicinity  are  some  of  the 
finest  residences  in  Washington  and  many  points 
of  interest,  impossible  even  to  mention  in  a  brief 
travel  sketch.  Beyond  Dupont  Circle,  there  are 
two  about  equally  important  routes  through  the 
northwestern  part  of  the  city  as  shown  on  page 
87 ;  and  the  mileages  are  practically  the  same. 
For  the  convenience  of  tourists  having  occasion 
to  make  a  choice  between  them,  or  possibly  in- 


89 


BALTIMORE  -WASHINGTON  ■  FREDERICK  «  TRIANGLE  " 


tending  to  go  out  one  way,  and  come  back  the 
other,  both  are  briefly  described: 

(1)  Connecticut  Avenue  Route  {via  Chevy 
Chase) — Bear  right,  halfway  around  Dupont 
Circle;  then  straight  ahead  along  Connecticut 
Avenue  to  fork  at  Columbia  Road.  Leave  trolley 
by  bearing  left  at  the  fine  house  of  the  late  A. 
M.  Lothrop  in  the  angle,  shortly  winding  left 
and  right  across  the  Connecticut  Avenue  high- 
way bridge  shown  on  the  photograph  on  page 
83;  this  bridge  crosses  Rock  Creek,  which 
is  here  in  a  deep,  wide  glen  and  from  it — over 
to  the  left — can  be  seen  the  United  States  Naval 
Observatory,  passed  by  the  Wisconsin  Avenue 
route  (No.  2).     Continue  out  Connecticut  Ave- 


TYPICAL  STRETCH  ALONG  THE  KUCKVILLE  PIKE 

With   just   a   suggestion    of   the   beautiful    "rolling    roads" 

found    to    some    extent    on    the    Washington-Frederick 

route,  but  which  are  much  more  pronounced  and 

frequent    on    the    direct    route    west    from 

Baltimore  to  Frederick 

nue  through  the  beautiful  subdivision  of  Chevy 
Chase,  past  the  Zoological  Park,  and  the  Army 
and  Navy  Preparatory  School,  both  on  the  right. 
Just  teyond  the  latter  the  tourist  using  this 
route  has  the  first  view  of  the  beautiful  "rolling 
roads"  so  conspicuous  on  the  direct  line  from 
Baltimore  to  Frederick.  Next  we  come  to  Chevy 
Chase  Circle,  through  which  runs  the  line  of 
the  District  of  Columbia;  and  after  curving 
right  around  that  circle,  we  are  again  in  Mary- 
land. On  the  left  just  beyond  is  the  large  stone 
building  of  the  Chevy  Chase  Club ;  we  turn  next 
left  beyond  the  club  grounds  into  Bradley  Lane 
and  follow  along  to  its  end,  where  the  trolley 


is  again  met.  A  right  turn  would  put  us  on 
the  direct  road  to  Rockville;  but  before  describ- 
ing same  beyond,  we  will  go  back  to  Dupont 
Circle  and  trace  the  other  route  out  Wisconsin 
Avenue. 

(2)  Wisconsin  Avenue  Route  {contributed 
by  Mrs.  Bertha  Hall  Talbott) — Again  taking 
our  departure  from  Dupont  Circle,  turn  right, 
two-thirds  of  the  way  around  the  circle;  bear 
right  into  Massachusetts  Avenue,  passing  the  old 
brick  residence  of  James  G.  Blaine,  and  the  buff 
brick  residence  of  Thomas  F.  Walsh,  both  on  the 
left,  and  other  magnificent  private  residences. 
Bear  right  around  Sheridan  Circle,  crossing  Rock 
Creek,  to  and  around  the  large  circle  of  the 
United  States  Naval  Observatory  on  left;  here 
is  the  home  of  the  U.  S.  Nautical  Almanac  and 
of  the  astronomical  work  of  the  government. 
This  point  is  just  above  Georgetown,  one  mile 
west  of  which,  on  the  Potomac  River,  were  made 
the  first  cannon  cast  in  this  country,  the  old 
foundry  being  in  use  also  during  the  Revolution- 
ary War. 

Continue  up  the  hill,  Episcopal  Cathedral  Close 
on  the  right,  pass  the  boys'  school  in  the  corner; 
at  the  top  cross  the  trolley  and  turn  right  with  it 
on  Wisconsin  Avenue.  If  not  running  your 
speedometer  against  your  watch,  it  is  worth  while 
to  turn  left  at  this  point,  and  go  south  two  blocks 
on  Wisconsin  Avenue  to  see  the  panorama  of 
Washington.  'Way  up  to  the  left  rises  the  square 
white  tower  of  the  Soldiers  Home,  and  just  to 
the  left  of  that  one  of  the  newer  buildings  of 
that  group. 

Swinging  around  to  the  right,  there  is  a  view 
of  many  of  Washington's  high-class  apartment 
houses  on  the  heights;  then  the  round  end  of 
the  dome  of  the  new  Union  Station;  the  square 
red  brick  Pension  Office,  sometimes  called 
"Meigs'  barn";  the  white  walls  of  the  Senate 
office  building;  the  low,  round  golden  dome  of 
the  Library  of  Congress;  the  comparatively 
slender  white  dome  of  the  Capitol;  the  square 
gray  tower  of  the  City  Post  Office,  and  then  the 
broad  sweep  of  the  Potomac  River,  from  which 
appears  to  rise  the  slender  shaft  of  the  Wash- 
ington Monument. 

Still  farther  around,  and  directly  down  Wis- 
consin Avenue,  may  be  seen  the  three  tall  masts 
of  the  new  government  wireless  plant  at  Fort 
Myer,  in  Virginia,  on  a  part  of  the  Arlington 
estate  of  Gen.  Robert  E.  Lee.  This  plant  is 
the  most  powerful  in  this  country,  and  is  now 
in  regular  communication  with  the  plant  on  the 


90 


BALTIMORE  -WASHINGTON  -  FREDERICK  "  TRIANGLE ' 


Eiflel  Tower  in  Paris.  Returning  from  this  fine 
view  of  Washington,  we  go  back  up  Wisconsin 
Avenue,  and  resume  our  trip  by  following  the 
trolleys  straight  ahead  past  the  Cathedral  Close 
on  right. 

Points  of  Special  Interest 

Directly  through  the  arched  gateway  may  be 
seen  the  Peace  Cross,  erected  in  1898  at  the  close 
of  the  Spanish  War;  and  just  to  the  left  stands 
the  brown  building  of  old  St.  Alban's  Church 
(named  in  memory  of  the  first  martyr  of  the 
British  Church),  now  almost  surrounded  by  stone 
additions.  To  the  left,  near  the  roadway,  stands 
the  boulder  erected  by  the  Sons  of  Colonial  Wars 
to  commemorate  the  passing  along  this  road, 
April  14,  1755,  of  one  division  of  the  army  of 
General  Braddock,  on  its  disastrous  march  to 
Fort  Duquesne. 

To  those  interested  in  the  history  of  the 
Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  it  will  be  well 
worth  while  to  spend  a  few  minutes  within  the 
grounds  to  note  the  Peace  Cross,  around  which 
open  air  exercises  are  regularly  held;  to  visit 
the  Bethlehem  Chapel,  into  the  foundation  of 
which  is  built  the  Bethlehem  Stone,  and  which 
chapel  will  later  become  a  part  of  the  great 
cathedral,  480  feet  long,  and  to  cost  over  five 
million  dollars.  Nearby,  in  the  Little  Sanc- 
tuary,, stands  the  wonderfully  beautiful  Jeru- 
salem Altar,  and  many  interesting  articles  from 
the  Holy  Land  and  other  historic  places. 

The  last  building  within  the  Close  is  the  girls 
school;  and  leaving  that  on  the  right,  we  con- 
tinue out  Wisconsin  Avenue,  passing,  on  the 
left,  the  long  stone  wall  and  hedge  of  the  coun- 
try estate  of  John  R.  McLean,  the  two  sets  of 
iron  gates  of  which  were  originally  in  Druid  Hill 
Park,  Baltimore.  This  is  a  part  of  the  original 
estate  of  "Friendship"  containing  3,124  acres 
granted  by  the  State  of  Maryland  in  1711  to 
Thomas  Addison  and  James  Stoddard,  in  com- 
memoration of  which  Mr.  McLean  has  set  into 
the  wall  a  drinking  fountain  for  horses,  appro- 
priate inscribed.  Passing  the  gateway  glimpses 
may  be  had  of  the  rambling  colonial  manor 
house,  for  years  owned  by  the  Catholic  Church, 
and  used  by  the  priests  for  their  regular  Retreat. 

Passing  through  what  was  formerly  Tennally- 
town,  now  merged  into  Washington,  we  cross  the 
district  line  into  Montgomery  County,  Maryland, 
exactly  where  one  crosses  the  trolley;  in  climbing 
the  next  hill,  note  the  golf  links  of  the  Chevy 
Chase  Club  on  the  right,  with  the  Club  House 


in  the  distance  on  Connecticut  Avenue.  We  are 
now  in  sight  of  the  other  route,  the  two  gradu- 
ally drawing  together  shortly  after  passing  the 
Naval  Observatory.  This  club  takes  its  name 
from  the  original  tract  of  land  called  "Chevy 
Chase,"  granted  to  Col.  Joseph  Belt,  to  whose 
memory  a  boulder  and  inscribed  tablet  was 
erected  about  two  years  ago. 

Nearby,  but  not  in  sight  from  the  road,  is 
the  old  "Clean  Drinking  Manor,"  granted  to 
John  Coates  in  1699,  and  later  owned  by  one 
of  his  descendants,  Walter  Coates  Jones,  upon 
whose  tombstone  is  inscribed: 

"Here  lies  the  body  and  bones 

Of  old  Walter  Coates  Jones; 

By  his  not  thinking. 

He  lost  'Clean  Drinking'; 

And  by  his  shallow  pate, 

He  lost  his  vast  estate." 
At  the  end  of  the  Chevy  Chase  golf  links,  we 
intersect   the  west   end   of   Bradley   Lane,   from 
which  point  the  two  routes  are  identical. 


TABLET  ON  LEFT   (NORTHBOUND)   JUST  BEFORE 
REACHING  CLARKSBURG,    MARYLAND 

Old  tavern,  badly  out  of  repair,   in  the  background;   this 

hotel  had  a  reputation  even  when  a  part  of  Braddock's 

army  went  past  in  1755 

To  AND  Through  Rockville 
Continuing  the  trip  north,  whichever  way  is 
used  out  of  Washington,  our  route  is  direct 
through  the  suburban  village  of  Bethesda. 
Thence  it  passes  over  the  railroad  to  the  fork 
beyond;  here  leave  the  trolley  by  keeping  prac- 
tically straight  ahead  on  the  Rockville  Pike.  That 
part  of  this  highway  from  the  District  line  to 
Rockville,  which  had  already  been  graded  and 
macadamized  by  Montgomery  County  was  taken 
over  about  three  years  ago  by  the  Highway  De- 
partment of  the  U.  S.  Government,  and  is  now 
maintained  by  it  for  the  purpose  of  experiment- 
ing with  the  different  kinds  of  road  surfacing. 


91 


BALTIMORE  -WASHINGTON  ■  FREDERICK  "  TRIANGLE  " 


Signs  giving  the  number  and  character  of   the 
"experiment"  will  be  noted  along  the  way. 

Shortly  we  cross  the  trolley,  which  is  followed 
the  balance  of  the  way  into  Rockville,  the  ap- 
proach to  which  is  indicated  in  advance  by  the 
tall  water  tower,  brick  with  an  iron  top,  seen 
over  to  the  right.  Pass  the  Court  House  grounds 
on  left,  upon  the  near  corner  of  which  stands 
a  boulder  erected  by  the  Daughters  of  the 
American  Revolution  to  mark  the  site  of  "Law- 
rence Owens'  Ordinary,"*  where  Braddock  made 
his  first  camp  in  Maryland.  The  place  was  then 
known  as  Williamsburg,  and  the  old  tavern  kept 
by  Owens  was  about  the  center  of  the  present 
town  of  Rockville.  Immediately  opposite,  on 
the  right,  stands  the  monument  to  the  Confeder- 
ate soldiers  of  Montgomery  County,  who  served 
in  the  war  between  the  States. 

After  a  slight  curve  to  the  left,  we  come  to 
the  prominent  intersection  of  Montgomery  Ave- 
nue and  Washington  Street  (Potomac  Electric 
Building  on  the  near  left-hand  corner),  where 
for  the  first  time  (September,  1915),  may  be 
seen  the  D.  A.  R.  red,  white  and  blue  stencils 
on  telegraph  poles.  This  is  the  beginning,  on 
the  eastern  end,  of  what  will  probably  become 
in  time  a  complete  system  of  these  markings  over 
the  most  historic  and  interesting  route  to  the 
Pacific  Coast;  and  it  is  only  fair  to  credit  this 
good  beginning  largely  to  Mrs.  Wm.  Hyde  Tal- 
bott,  of  Rockville,  Chairman  National  Old 
Trails  Road  Committee  for  Maryland.  Turning 
right  into  Washington  Street,  we  follow  the 
main  route  out  of  Rockville,  4.6  miles  beyond 
which,  at  the  east  edge  of  Gaithersburg,  we  pass 
a  fork  with  the  sign  "Frederick"  and  cross  the 
railroad;  on  the  right,  just  beyond  is  a  mag- 
nificent oak,  still  called  the  "Braddock  Oak." 

Go  through  Gaithersburg,  past  Forest  Oak 
Cemetery,  on  the  left;  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
village,  but  not  in  sight  from  the  road,  is  located 
a  small  government  observatory,  one  of  four  es- 
tablished some  years  ago  for  the  purpose  of  mak- 
ing sitpultaneous  observations  to  ascertain  the 
truth  of  the  theory  that  the  earth  wabbles  on  its 
axis.  At  the  west  end  of  Gaithersburg  begins 
a  stretch  of  concrete  road,  part  of  which  is  a 
relocation  taking  the  place  of  the  former  high- 
way over  Middlebrooke  Hill.  The  points  where 
the  old  route  enters  and  leaves  the  present  con- 
crete road  are  easily  identified. 


Next  is  Henderson's  Corner,  the  lower  point 
on  the  smaller  triangle  shown  on  page  86,  its 
other  two  points  being  Ridgeville  and  Fred- 
erick. From  here  on  there  is  a  choice  of  two 
routes,  the  one  straightaway  to  the  left  being 
the  continuation  of  the  road  followed  by  Brad- 
dock's  expedition  of  1755,  over  which  we  have 
been  traveling;  this  is  about  eight  miles  shorter 
than  the  other  and  a  typical  old-style  pike,  rough 


•  "Ordinary,"  a  term  once  in  common  use  to  distinguish 
an  inn  or  tavern  where  accommodations  could  be  had  at 
stated  prices,  sometimes  these  prices  were  limited  by  order 
of  the  court — an  interesting  side-light  on  the  relations  of  the 
tavern  keeper  and  the  traveling  public  in  colonial  times. 


PENNSYLVANIA    MONUMENT,    ON    THE    RIGHT 
(NORTHBOUND) 

Seven-tenths    of    a    mile    south    of    the    Monocacy    River 

bridge;   a   short  distance  beyond,   on  the  north   side 

of  the  Monocacy  and  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 

road,    is   the    New   Jersey    monument.      See 

upper  left-hand  corner  of  map,  page  86 

in  spots  and  next  to  impassable  in  wet  weather. 
Having  the  historical  interest  largely  in  view 
throughout  this  series  of  articles,  we  are  first 
describing  the  balance  of  the  way  to  Frederick 
over  the  old  direct  road ;  but  the  map  shows  in  a 
heavier  line  the  better  way  through  Damascus 
and  Ridgeville  (which  should  always  be  taken 
after  any  considerable  rain),  and  the  description 
follows  on  page  93. 

Last  Stretch  into  Frederick 
(Over  the  direct  historic  route)  :  at  Hender- 
son's Corner  continue  straight  ahead  past  the 
better  right-hand  road  leading  to  Damascus  and 
Ridgeville,  noticing  on  the  left,  just  before  reach- 
ing Clarksburg,  a  large  boulder  erected  by  the 
"Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution  to  mark 
the   site   of    "Dowden's    Ordinary,"    the   second 


92 


BALTIMORE  -WASHINGTON  -  FREDERICK*  ''TftlkNGLS^n  '. :  •':  •  / 


camp  of  Braddock  in  Maryland.  A  portion  of 
this  old  building  is  still  standing,  much  dilapi- 
dated, after  a  hundred  and  sixty  years. 

Shortly  after  passing  through  Clarksburg,  the 
views  take  on  a  wider  scope  and  gain  in  interest. 
Far  over  to  the  left  is  the  first  view  of  the 
most  easterly  range  of  the  Blue  Ridge  Moun- 
tains; and  closer  on  the  right  are  the  fertile 
fields  of  Frederick  County,  spread  out  as  far  as 
the  eye  can  see.  This  is  a  part  of  "Carroll's 
Manor,"  one  of  the  properties  of  Charles  Car- 
roll, of  Carrollton,  and  unexcelled  for  beauti- 
ful rolling  country.  Just  before  reaching  Hyatts- 
town  there  is  a  short,  steep  downgrade  where 
careful  driving  is  necessary;  from  it  can  be  had 
a  fine  view  of  the  small  village  in  the  distance. 
Some  portions  of  this  road  are  narrow,  and  at 
least  two  of  the  bridges  were  found  in  poor  con- 
dition (September,  1915). 

Follow  the  direct  and  unmistakable  road 
through  Kyattstown,  just  beyond  which  we  cross 
the  line  into  Frederick  County  and  pass  through 
the  first  one  of  the  three  toll  gates  (8  cents  toll), 
which  are  among  the  last  in  Maryland.  From 
this  point  through  and  beyond  Urbana  we  pass, 
about  two  miles  away  over  to  the  left.  Sugar- 
loaf  Mountain,  used  by  the  Federal  Army  dur- 
ing the  Civil  War,  as  a  signal  station  to  Wash- 
ington. At  the  southern  foot  of  this  mountain 
was  built  the  first  railroad  in  Maryland,  for 
transporting  material  for  the  construction  of  the 
Chesapeake  &  Ohio  Canal  aqueduct  over  the 
Monocacy  River. 

Beyond  Urbana,  on  the  range  of  hills  bound- 
ing the  Monocacy  River,  we  pass  through  the 
field  of  the  battle  of  the  Monocacy*  where,  on 
July  9,  1864,  the  Confederates  under  Gen.  Jubal 
Early,  in  their  march  toward  Washington,  de- 
feated and  pushed  back  the  Federals  under  Gen. 
Lew  Wallace.  Upon  this  battlefield  several 
monuments  have  been  erected,  the  first  of  which 
is  the  one  of  Pennsylvania,  in  a  field  on  the  right, 
but  visible  from  the  road.  Then  we  pay  10  cents 
at  the  second  toll  gate,  and  cross  an  iron  bridge 
over  the  Monocacy  River;  almost  immediately 
beyond  is  a  bridge  over  the  B.  &  O.  R.  R.  tracks 
("Monocacy  Junction"),  and  to  the  left  of  it  the 
monument  to  the  New  Jersey  volunteers. 

Also  on  the  left  our  route  passes  a  very  large 
boulder  overlooking  the  Monocacy  battlefield 
and  erected  to  the  memory  of  the  Confederates 
who  fell  in  that  struggle.  The  road  here  is  level 
and  fine,  fully  equal  to  the  approach  into  Fred- 
erick by  the  direct  road  from  Baltimore.     Next 


•  For    further    reference    to   the    Battle    of    Monocacy,    see 
page  20. 


is  the  third  and  last  toll  gate  (8  cents),  beyond 
which  we  enter  South  Market  Street,  Frederick, 
at  the  lower  edge  of  the  city.  Mt.  Olivet 
Cemetery  will  be  seen  on  the  left;  just  inside  the 
gate  stands  the  bronze  statue  of  Francis  Scott 
Key,  author  of  the  "Star  Spangled  Banner."  A 
short  distance  beyond,  on  the  right,  is  the  Deaf 
and  Dumb  Institute,  set  in  spacious  grounds. 
The  street  is  wide  and  in  excellent  shape;  pick- 
ing up  the  trolley  on  the  left,  same  is  followed 
to  the  center  of  Frederick. 

Henderson's  Corner-Ridgeville  Option. 

For  the  benefit  of  strangers  who  may  prefer 
this  longer  and  better  way,  a  brief  description 
is  given,  starting  from  Henderson's  Corner  and 
going  over  the  other  and  longer  route  along  the 
two  sides  of  the  smaller  triangle.  Turn  right 
on  new  macadam,  appropriately  called  the 
"Ridge  Road"  for,  though  it  encounters  some 
valleys,  it  follows  "Parr's  Ridge,"  which  extends 
from  the  Potomac  River  over  a  hundred  miles 
up  into  Pennsylvania.  Then  pass  through  the 
crossroads  at  Brink  to  Cedar  Grove,  through 
which  we  coast;  now  we  climb  Poole's  Hill,  802 
feet  above  tidewater,  which  is  descended  by  a 
sequence  of  curves. 

Bear  right  into  Damascus,  and  take  carefully 
the  sharp  left  turn  around  the  store  building  onto 
the  concrete  again;  thence  through  Clagettsville 
to  the  hill,  down  which  we  coast  (above  the  rail- 
road tunnel)  into  Ridgeville.  Straight  ahead 
as  we  descend  the  grade  is  a  large  greenhouse; 
and  at  the  bottom,  we  turn  left — now  on  the 
direct  road  west  from  Baltimore.  As  practically 
all  of  the  travel  from  Baltimore  to  Frederick, 
and  a  large  part  of  that  from  Washington,  con- 
centrates at  these  four  corners,  the  motor  traffic 
is  unusually  heavy;  and  care  is  advisable  in  mak- 
ing a  turn  either  way. 

From  now  on  we  are  to  travel  about  14  miles, 
described  in  more  detail  on  page  20,  through 
Newmarket  and  over  a  succession  of  beautiful 
rolling  hills,  gradually  working  down  into  the 
Monocacy  Valley.  At  the  foot  the  road  crosses 
the  Monocacy  River  over  the  wonderful  old 
"Jug  bridge"  (shown  in  Chapter  2,  page  21), 
from  the  western  end  of  which  it  literally  rises 
into  Frederick.  Coming  to  the  central  four 
corners  at  Patrick  and  Market  Streets,  with  the 
two  banks  on  diagonally  opposite  corners,  we  are 
also  at  the  end  of  the  Washington  option ;  ahead 
— west — stretches  the  Baltimore-Cumberland 
Pike  to  Cumberland,  and  the  Old  National  Road 
the  balance  of  the  way  to  the  Ohio  River  at 
Wheeling. 


93 


A  GRAPHIC   ILLUSTRATION   OF  THE    SAVING  OF   DISTANCE  BY  THE  OLD  NATIONAL  ROAD   BETWEEN 

TIDEWATER  AT  WASHINGTON   (POTOMAC  RIVER)    OR   BALTIMORE    (CHESAPEAKE   BAY), 

AND   THE   OHIO   RIVER  AT   WHEELING,    W.    VA.,    ALSO    ITS    DIRECTNESS   ACROSS 

OHIO,  INDIANA  AND  ILLINOIS 


94 


DEDICATED 


BY  THE 


National 
Highways 
Association 


TO 


Vincent 
Astor, 


Esq. 


The  descendant  and 
present  living  head  of 
their  illustrious  family. 
So  inseparably  a  part  of 
the  "Winning  of  the 
West"  over  the  "Old 
Trails,"  the  forerunners 
of  our  National 
Highways     ::     ::     ::     :: 


JOHN  JACOB  ASTOR,  the  First 
Courtesy  of  the  Netu  York  Sun 


ASTORIA— As  it  was  Founded  in  1811 

Courtesy  of  the  Neiv  York  Sun 
95 


a  o  3  ' 


96 


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